Magic in the Caribbean
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: JackOC story: A pickpocket witch robs our favorite pirate captain. To repay the money, what will she have to do, and will love follow?
1. The Hard Life

Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack or anyone else in this story!  
  
AN: No, this isn't a new chapter, I just sort of re-did chapter one because I thought it could be better. I might redo the later chapters, but I doubt it. I sort of like them the way they are. Anyway, chapter one is basically the same, with a bit added or taken out. Read it if you want, and enjoy it again if you do!  
  
Chapter 1: The Hard Life:  
  
Angela Sharp blew a damp, stray wisp of ebony hair out of her eyes as she started mashing leaves and berries together in a bowl. It was only noon, and already she was sweating up a storm. What was even worse was that the poorly thatched roof of her small, ramshackle, one room hut did nothing to keep the heat off of her.  
  
'Bloody Caribbean weather,' she silently cursed, wiping sweat from her face with her sleeve. 'Port Cain feels like a muggy oven. I wish that it were more like England; it was much nicer there.'  
  
Actually, that wasn't true. The cooler weather of England may have been preferable to the hot, muggy, heavy weather of the Caribbean, but people actually knew and feared Angela over there. Why?  
  
Because Angela was a witch.  
  
No, she wasn't the ugly, old, cackling witch with a wart on her nose, wearing black robes and a pointy black hat. In fact, Angela was the complete opposite of that. She was young, only twenty-two years of age, with black hair, violet eyes, and a worn out purple dress clinging damply to her short 5'3" of height. Her skin was golden-brown from exposure to the harsh Caribbean sun, but it had been a bit golden to begin with, thanks to some Asian background in her family.  
  
Angela frowned as she continued mashing her herbs. 'Actually, it's because of my family that I'm an outcast from England and the entire European continent,' she thought, mashing with more vigor as her thoughts grew a bit angrier. 'Especially because we've lived in every single country in Europe.'  
  
For over ten generations, the women of the Sharp family had been witches, using their talents to help others through herbal healing and subtly using their magical gifts to prevent deadly accidents from happening to innocent people. Over the centuries, the Sharp women had displayed a wide variety of powers, such as foresight, minor telepathy, scrying for things, and being able to move small objects with their thoughts. However, it was those gifts that kept the women of her family constantly moving throughout their lives. England had been the last place in Europe that the family hadn't been to, and Angela's mother, Renee, had decided to go there to birth and raise her daughter; there they had remained until Renee had died when Angela had turned nineteen. By then, everyone in London knew about the strange events that happened around the Sharp women, and Angela had been forced to flee, fearing for her life.  
  
Sighing again, Angela finished mixing the leaves and berries together, creating a stomach medicine for an elderly woman who was ill. This elderly woman, Mrs. Baker by name, was one of the few people who didn't fear Angela, and the only one who spoke with her willingly; everyone else spoke to her only when they wanted some sort of medicine, or to bargain with her in the marketplace. Because of this, Angela was always lonely and poor, since people never came to visit except to get her medicines, and that did not happen unless people truly needed them. If some of the town's sickly and elderly people, like Mrs. Baker, didn't constantly purchase medicine from her, Angela would be starving. However, there was one other thing she did for money, but it wasn't legal, and tended to make the young witch ashamed of herself.  
  
Angela was also a thief.  
  
During desperate times, the young witch used her finely-toned telekinetic abilities to rob any wealthy visitors to Port Cain. She always felt terrible about doing it, but she had to eat to live, and with so few people coming for herbal medicines, theft tended to be the only way. However, Angela did have some morals: she would only target those who could afford it, and whose purses were small and light from too much shopping. She targeted these visitors mostly because people would notice if their heavy purse started to move, or if its weight suddenly disappeared from their belts. Angela would usually wait for her target to lighten their purse in the marketplace or shops, then follow them until they started to head back towards their ship. She would keep a constant, sharp eye on her target, staying a good distance away, and then use her magic to either slowly untie the purse, lift it from its pocket, or cause it to carefully fall from its owners wrist. Once the purse was safely away from its owner, Angela would then cause it to roll under a nearby basket, wagon, or woman's skirt, effectively hiding it from view before going to collect it after her target was out of eyesight.  
  
So far, this technique had yet to fail. However, since visitors were rare in Port Cain, Angela didn't have to use her gift in that manner very often. Even after robbing someone, she always spent the money on only the barest essentials, like food, soap, and a few herbs that didn't grow in her own private gardens. What few customers she had thought it odd that she only had a table, two chairs, her mixing tools, a very small trunk to hold her few clothes, and a small bed, but that was all she needed. Also, her lack of possessions seemed to keep patrons away from her house for some reason.  
  
'As though business isn't bad enough,' she thought, frowning. 'They're scared enough of me as it us. Between my predicting when and where accidents will happen and magically finding and returning lost objects, nearly the entire town is terrified of me. If I weren't a decent medicine woman, they wouldn't have anything to do with me!'  
  
By now Angela was finished with the medicine, and it was time to deliver it to Mrs. Baker. After pouring the mixture into a small bag, she tucked it away into a small basket and tied on her old, worn-out broad-rimmed straw hat. As she started down the street, Angela noticed that several of the townspeople had stopped to stare fearfully at her. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, the young witch proceeded down the walkway, away from her run- down little hut and heading towards the better parts of town, where Mrs. Baker lived with her niece.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After twenty minutes of walking in the hot Caribbean sun, Angela felt like she was melting. She truly was an English-born woman; even after a year of living here in the Caribbean, she still had yet to get used to the climate. After stopping to regain her breath and to cool off a bit, Angela went up to the large mansion that housed Mrs. Baker and her niece, Jessica. Wincing at the thought of the snobby, blond-haired, green-eyed, seventeen- year-old Jessica, Angela knocked on the door, preparing for another infamous confrontation with the young girl, though hoping that there wouldn't be one.  
  
Angela and Jessica's dislike of each other was known throughout the town, and people tended to stay out of their arguments. No one wanted to anger the local supposed 'witch,' nor upset one of the upper-class women. No one knew why Jessica hated the healer so much, but Angela supposed that it was because Mrs. Baker preferred the soft, gentle behavior of Angela as opposed to Jessica's loud, obnoxious tantrums. Also, Angela actually cared about Mrs. Baker; Jessica seemed to be waiting for the elderly woman to die so that she could get all of her aunt's money, as well as her inheritance from her deceased parents. The aristocratic teenager was outrageously spoiled and pampered, but that wasn't her aunt's fault. Mrs. Baker was simply too old to run after her niece and care for her, so that task fell to the servants, who spoiled their young charge. The result was obvious whenever Jessica did not get her way: a tantrum always happened, and something valuable usually ended up broken. She was polite and sweet enough in public with her friends, but in private, the girl was a nightmare.  
  
Angela couldn't help rolling her eyes in annoyance, and was relieved when a servant answered her knock on the door instead the vile teen. The butler simply nodded to Angela before motioning her inside. After shutting the door, the man escorted her into a comfortable white-and-gold sitting room. Perched in a large white chair by a marble fireplace was an elderly woman, her hair as white as the painted walls, her eyes a pale blue. Even though it was a bit after noon, she was wearing a white nightgown beneath a white robe, and had a blue blanket over her lap. Her face was covered in wrinkles, and her complexion was a sickly, pale white. The eyes crinkled at the corners as the woman smiled and held out a hand, which the young healer gently took into one of her own.  
  
"Please, Angela, sit down," Mrs. Baker said, nodding to a footstool near her feet. Angela took it, smoothing her skirts as tea and sandwiches were ordered, brought in, and served. As soon as the servants had left them alone, Mrs. Baker spoke again. "So, dear child, how goes the healing business?" she asked, sipping her tea carefully, her old hands as thin and delicate as the china cup she held.  
  
Angela sighed as she set her cup in its saucer. "It is the same, Ruth," she replied. Mrs. Baker had insisted that she be addressed by her first name in private, since she rarely heard it from anyone else. "The town is as afraid of me as they were before, though a few more people have been coming for medicines than before. I still don't get that much business, though."  
  
Ruth Baker looked her guest up and down. "That is obvious; you look like you haven't eaten in days, my dear," she stated, her blue eyes focusing on Angela's thin-looking frame. "When was your last meal?"  
  
"This morning," Angela lied. It had actually been at breakfast yesterday that she had last eaten; she was trying to make her food last as much as she could, since she didn't know when she would be getting enough money to eat again later. As it was, Angela was trying hard not to drain all of the tea in her cup and wolf down all of the sandwiches on the tray; she was that hungry.  
  
Mrs. Baker shook her head. "This will not do," she said. Swiftly summoning a servant, a quick order was given to provide Angela with a basket of food for her to take home with her, along with her payment. Mrs. Baker immediately stopped all protests from Angela. "My dear, you are a young woman and you must be kept healthy," she said, shaking her head. "Starving yourself just because a bunch of nitwits are too afraid of providing you with business is silly. Besides, you should be growing your own food, as well as your herbs, in that garden of yours. Didn't you ever think of that?" The old woman raised an eyebrow at Angela's shamed expression.  
  
"I keep forgetting to plant things," Angela admitted, looking down as she set aside her tea cup. "I'm too busy trying to trade medicines for food, but things never work out the way they're supposed to." Silently, she thought, 'and vegetable seeds and tools cost money that I don't have.'  
  
Mrs. Baker smiled kindly at her young friend as she reached for Angela's chin, tilting her face upwards. "I really wish there was a way for me to help you, child, but people don't want to listen to a weak old woman like me," she said, sighing. "If I were a bit healthier, they might heed me, but not now, not when I'm dying." Angela looked up at the old woman in shock, but the elderly woman laughed. "No, I don't mean it like that; I meant that I'm very slowly fading. Don't worry, dear, I've still got at least a few more years before I join my husband in Heaven." She patted Angela's cheek. "There, here comes your basket and your payment. Now, be a good girl and plant that vegetable garden, hmm? That will help you a great deal."  
  
Angela nodded as a servant brought in the said basket and small pouch of coins, setting them down by Angela's feet. The two made small-talk as they finished the tea and sandwiches, and an hour later, it was time for Angela to go home. As she took the basket and stood up, she took the old woman's hand again in hers and inaudibly whispered a small magical blessing over the old woman's head, begging the Powers to let this good woman live a bit longer and to have better health. Each time she did this, Angela was sure that she was helping her old friend gain a bit more time in life. Mrs. Baker simply smiled, thinking that Angela was muttering to herself, and nodded a good-bye.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Soon afterwards, Angela was on her way home when someone rudely bumped into her. Violet eyes met green, and an instant later, the air seemed to crackle with tense emotion.  
  
"Well, if it isn't the town witch," Jessica sneered, her blond head tilted to one side. Her pink parasol matched her gown, and the hat on her head was pink with a wide white ribbon around it. Her blond hair was perfectly arranged and curled, making her the image of the perfect aristocratic woman. Jessica looked the complete opposite of Angela, who was raggedy in her worn out purple dress, her black hair hanging in a messy braid under her broad-rimmed hat. "What have you been up to today, witch?"  
  
"That is none of your concern," Angela said, glaring up at the blond, silently cursing her short 5'3" stature compared to Jessica's 5'8" height.  
  
"Isn't it?" Jessica said, looking down her tiny nose at the woman before her. "Where did you get all of that food from, from my aunt? Give it to me, this instant; you have no right to it." She held out a delicate, smooth hand, palm up, ready to accept the basket.  
  
"No," Angela said, glaring upwards, her eyes narrowing as she held the basket closer. She seriously doubted that a delicate girl like Jessica could carry such a basket without aid.  
  
Jessica looked shocked before her eyes flamed with anger. "How dare you refuse me!" she cried, her head tilting backwards as she stamped her foot, acting much like a defiant child. "You have no right to refuse me, you hideous girl!" Her hand made as if to slap her.  
  
Angela's eyes hardened to a stone-cold amethyst. "I wouldn't try anything, if I were you," she said quietly. The barest hint of a threat hung on her words.  
  
The tone in her voice caused Jessica's hand to stop, hesitating in mid-air. "What could you possibly do to me?" Jessica said, holding her head high as she lowered her hand. "I'm a nobleman's daughter, and you're merely a wench's bastard child."  
  
Angela's eyebrows snapped together in anger. "Oh, really?" she asked, gritting her teeth to not show her fury. "Didn't you just call me a witch? Are you sure that it's wise to threaten and anger a witch?" Jessica visibly paled. "I'm sure that you, of all people, remember your fairy tales, the ones where people who anger a witch end up having some bad run- in with magic? You wouldn't want to be one of those people, now, would you?"  
  
"If you curse me, everyone will know you're a witch!" Jessica said, her voice sounding triumphant. Her triumph was short lived.  
  
"Yes they would, if they believed you," Angela said. "But what if the curse is for no one to believe your words when you tell them what happened between us? What if they think you're mad and lock you up in prison?" The idea of being imprisoned appeared to have sent Jessica into a state of wide- eyed alarm. "If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut about this little incident. Otherwise, you might end up on the wrong side of some prison bars."  
  
Angela inwardly smirked as she stepped around the frightened Jessica and made her way towards her small hut. She didn't see the teenager run towards her aunt's home, but knew that the noblewoman would keep her silence. After all, as a witch, Angela had a tendency of knowing these things.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Upon reaching her hut, Angela took off her hat, hung it on one of her two chairs, set the small moneybag on the table, and began unpacking the basket. She was surprised to see a whole roasted chicken, six large potatoes, a few carrots, onions, turnips, and even a small pie, all tucked neatly into the basket, a large cloth napkin covering the whole thing neatly.  
  
"I'll have to make sure to make a special potion for Mrs. Baker the next time I deliver her medicine," she muttered. Tonight, though, Angela could have a small feast to celebrate her triumph over Miss Jessica Baker.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Three days later, Angela was on her last bit of food. She had tried to make it last, but, with no way to preserve the chicken and pie longer than a few days, Angela had been forced to eat them quickly. The only things left were the vegetables, and she would need several of them in order to plant a vegetable garden like she had promised to make. The money given to her by Mrs. Baker was needed to repair the roof before storm season started, so that left only one option: theft.  
  
Sighing, Angela pulled on a drab gray dress, along with her hat, grabbed a basket, and headed towards town, making it look like she was merely going shopping. Once there, she headed down to the harbor to begin looking around for any visitors to the island port. As she passed by the first pier, she noticed a ship docking, one with black sails. A closer look revealed that the entire ship was crafted from some sort of black wood, and was sporting a skillfully carved figurehead of a maiden holding a bird on the bow of the ship. It truly was a beautiful ship, and Angela could feel a bit of a mystical aura radiating from it, one that practically screamed that this was no ordinary ship. Angela quickly took down a mental note to stay away from it; the aura of that ship could clash with her own gifts if she wasn't careful. Its crewmembers, however, would most definitely be on her 'get-to-know' list, particularly if they had money. As it was, she watched the sailors dock the ship and harness it to the dock. They then gathered on deck, listening to one man speak, probably the captain, before disembarking. The captain was the last to leave after giving his deck a quick check.  
  
Angela blinked in surprise when she saw him set foot on the dock. It looked like he was the captain, but he wasn't like any captain she had seen before. He wore a worn out tri-cornered hat of a captain, as well as a coat, sword, and pistol. There were silver trinkets and bone fragments in his hair, as well as an old red bandana to keep his hair out of his face. He had the oddest walk, more like a sashay, appearing as though he were drunk. He looked like a drunk, but his eyes and serious demeanor said otherwise. Perhaps he was a bit mad? If he were, that would help Angela a great deal; if apparent madmen screamed 'thief' in a marketplace, it was they who would be the ones arrested, not the thief themselves. Yes, this man would definitely be her target. A closer look at his belt made her decision: a full money-pouch hung by a single, thin leather strip, one that could easily break if she focused hard enough with her telekinetic powers. Making up her mind, Angela discreetly followed the odd captain.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Half an hour later, the captain had spent a great deal of money on food and supplies for his ship, but appeared to still have a fair amount left over. In the mean time, he was heading towards the more run-down parts of Port Cain, apparently in need of a drink from the seedy taverns and bars. Angela knew she had to move before another pickpocket from those parts of town got to him first. Waiting for the man to stop and admire a jeweler's stall, Angela stood across the street, watching him while seeming to be admiring some apples. With the captain's attention focusing elsewhere, Angela focused, 'pinching' the leather strap with her magic until it snapped. If one looked closely, it honestly looked like someone had actually cut the leather with a sharp knife until it broke.  
  
After making sure that the leather strap was broken, Angela quickly whisked the falling pouch under a fruit stall next to the jeweler's, pushing it under the stall until it was hidden by some baskets. After a moment of waiting, she saw the captain move on, not knowing that his pouch was missing. Seeing him move out of view, Angela calmly walked across the street and set her basket down next to the ones which hid the pouch. After a brief second of seeming to admire the fruit-seller's merchandise, Angela bent over and picked up the basket, which now included the pouch she had 'called' into her own basket from behind the fruit-seller's baskets. Satisfied with her work, Angela held her basket close and quickly lost herself in the crowd, not knowing that she was being watched. 


	2. Catching a Thief

Disclaimer: Still don't own the wonderful Jack Sparrow, or anyone/anything else associated with Disney. I wish I did, though.  
  
AN: Please note that I know nothing of witchcraft/wiccan practices or of herbal remedies, so don't flame me and tell me that I'm completely wrong. This is a fictional story, and as such, so are the abilities of my own character(s), savvy?  
  
Chapter 2: Catching a Thief:  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
Jack frowned as he steered his ship into Port Cain. Lately, the crew of the Black Pearl had started getting a bit rowdy from too much time at sea, so he had decided to give them a short break before heading for Tortuga. After being without land for three months, the crew deserved that much.  
  
An hour later, the Pearl was docked in the harbor of the quaint town of Port Cain and the crew was gathered for the usual meeting before heading into town.  
  
"Alright, mates!" Jack yelled, waving his arms around to get their attention. Silence followed and Jack proceeded. "Ye all know the drill: ye have the three days to drink, eat, or do whatever ye want, but be back mid-afternoon on that third day! I want ye all ready to sail before dusk settles in, savvy?" The crew raised their fists in the air in agreement before filing off the ship. Watching the last man (and single woman) leave the deck, Jack began to check things over in his head. Everything of value was locked down below, with Jack being the only one holding the keys. The crew's quarters were left unlocked in case they forgot something or were too cheap to rent a room, but Jack's large quarters and Anamaria's small cabin were locked, both of them holding the only keys to their rooms.  
  
Giving his mental list one last thought, Jack headed down the gangplank and out into the town. The Pearl seriously needed new supplies, and Tortuga was over two weeks away. If Jack didn't buy some food soon, the crew would go mad from eating too much hardtack bread and drinking stale water. Then, only one word could describe what would happen after two weeks of tasteless rations: mutiny. In his opinion, a full crew was a happy crew, and Jack had every intention of providing for his crewmates. That's why, after a fairly large shopping spree, Jack realized that his purse was a great deal lighter. Fruits, vegetables, meat, and rum for an entire ship was necessary, but that didn't mean that he liked spending that much on his crew, especially when the merchants here were ripping him off. The pirate frowned; he hated it when they docked in proper towns like Port Cain, mostly because the residents always thought that they could raise the prices on anyone who wasn't a local. Oh, well, as long as the crew was happy, that was all that mattered to him. Either way, he still had some money left over; why not get a drink from the local taverns? Grinning widely, Jack headed down the street.  
  
As he walked down the street, a sparkle caught his eye. Stopping for a moment, he pulled over to inspect a jeweler's stall, admiring all of the lovely gems locked securely in a glass case. Personally, Jack felt that he had bigger, brighter, more expensive jewels in his cabin, but these were still nice. Inwardly shrugging, he headed down the street and rounded a corner. Pausing to reach for his purse, the pirate captain froze when he found that it was missing. Looking down, he saw that the leather string looked like it had been pinched or cut off.  
  
'That's not probable!' he thought, eyes wide as he held the cut leather. This purse had been made to repel any and all pickpockets; the tough leather strap could only be cut by the finest, sharpest knife a person could buy, and pickpockets couldn't afford knives of that type no matter what! Jack had bought this pouch from a former pickpocket who made purses and sold them to customers who hated getting robbed; there was no way for his purse to be missing!  
  
Turning around, Jack headed back towards the market, keeping his eyes open as he retraced his steps. As he scanned the crowd, he spotted a woman in a large straw hat and a plain gray dress picking up her basket. There, inside of her basket, was Jack's purse! However, before he could move so much as an inch, the woman disappeared into the crowd. Internally, Jack cursed his bad luck as he tried to follow her with his eyes and with his feet.  
  
It was no use; the woman was gone, and so was his purse. What was worst was that he hadn't even seen her face, her had had covered up her face. Growling in frustration, Jack turned around and headed for the Pearl, intent on getting some money so that he could get some rum and forget what had happened today!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
After arriving home, Angela undid her hat and set it on the table, along with the basket and the fairly-empty purse. Changing into a thinner blue dress, she kicked off her shoes, letting her feet wiggle in the dust that made up the hut's floor.  
  
'At least I don't have to clean the floor all the time,' Angela thought, bitterly. She really wished that she had a decent home, one with a real floor and a roof with no holes, but that wouldn't happen anytime soon.  
  
Shrugging, Angela went over to the table and dragged a chair up to it, thankful that her few furniture pieces were all in good condition. A middle-class family moving back to England had sold the table, chairs, and small bed to her, asking for nothing more than a two months supply of a sea- sick remedy for their family. The hut had been abandoned by its owners for who-knows-how-long before Angela's arrival in Port Cain, as evident by its run-down appearance. Angela couldn't even light a fire in the fireplace for fear of burning the place down! Sighing, Angela took up the pouch and dumped out its contents, gasping at the sight that greeted her.  
  
Silver and gold sparkled up at her from the tabletop. Three gold coins and six silver coins, all for her!  
  
Angela couldn't believe her luck; not only was this more than expected, but the number nine was significant in her family. A 'nine' popping up to a Sharp woman usually meant that something good was going to happen to that person. Excitement swelled up in her chest as she looked at the coins. Sweeping them up in her hand, she placed them in a large bowl. Then, picking up a pitcher of water, she poured the contents over the coins until they were completely covered by the water. When this was finished, Angela looking into the bowl, trying to See what these coins could mean for her future.  
  
The water rippled slightly before revealing the vague image of a man in a tri-cornered hat. A second later, the image cleared, showing the man that she had robbed earlier that day. Angela leaned in closer and saw that he was very handsome. She hadn't noticed that before, since she had been so intent on robbing him, but now that she could observe him in a different perspective, the young witch decided to take a closer look. His eyes were a dark, intense chocolate brown, both thickly lined with kohl. His beard was divided into two braided strands, each holding a bead at the end. His lips were lush and thick, looking very inviting and very kissable.  
  
Angela blinked. Where had that come from?! She shook her head to clear her thoughts before returning to the water. The lips she had been admiring were turned down in an unhappy frown, which could be a very bad thing. Angela immediately got up and retrieved a small twig of dried herbs. Crushing the tiny leaves between her fingers, Angela sprinkled them into the water. This herb would allow her to hear what was being said, as well as see what was happening. An instant later, she could hear his voice through the water.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Bloody hell!" he cursed as he rummaged through a desk drawer. "How did this bloody happen?! That purse was theft-proof, I tell ye, theft-proof! If that pickpocket/purseseller has cheated me, he'll wish that he'd never met Captain Jack Sparrow!" He found a large box that 'clinked' as he shook it. Opening it up, he pulled out a small leather pouch and stuffed several silver coins in, tucking it into his sash and returning the box to his desk when he was finished. "And if I ever find out who that thief-woman is, I'll haul her down into the Pearl's brig myself!" He then turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Angela felt her face pale as the water rippled and the image faded.  
  
He knew! He knew that his purse had been taken by a woman, and he was angry! Not only that, but he was THE Captain Jack Sparrow! Her mother had warned her about him, about his grand adventures all around the East India Company and other British ports. She had even heard about his latest adventure with undead pirates and the Royal Navy! No, she definitely did not want to mess with the famous, deadly pirate captain. She would just have to stay out of his way until he and the Black Pearl left, that's all. Easily done, nothing to it, right?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day, Angela walked around her hut, trying not to go mad. Sharp women were not meant to be caged; they were free spirits, which was why few of them ever married or stayed in one place their whole lives. The women of her family usually stayed in a relationship long enough to have a child or two (legitimate or not) before taking their daughters and running off somewhere else. Sons (usually proving non-magical and were rarely born into her family) were left with their fathers. If said fathers proved unwilling to care for their offspring, the son would remain with their witch mother until seeking independence. This was how Angela knew that there were other Sharp men and women out there, other than herself. The other family members and witches were out there, they just never kept in touch because too much witchcraft and too many witches in one spot attracted unwanted, deadly attention.  
  
She shook her head. 'My mind is drifting again,' Angela thought. She needed to get out of the house, but how? Jack Sparrow was out there looking for her, she knew that. Groaning in exasperation, Angela pulled out the bowl, the nine coins, and the water pitcher, setting them up as she had before. Once more, Angela sought out the pirate captain, and was amused by what she saw.  
  
A drunken Jack Sparrow was passed out on a bottle-littered table at the Night Bandit Tavern, located in the slums of Port Cain. He was face down, his head tilted to one side, and, even though she couldn't hear it, the young witch could tell that he was snoring, a happy grin on his face.  
  
Chuckling to herself, Angela let the water ripple and the image fade. With Captain Sparrow out of commission for a while, she would go out today, buy the things she needed for a few days, then be home before the captain even woke up from his drinking spree. Hopefully, he would be gone within the next few days, before her supplies ran out. After all, pirates never stayed on land for very long, so they would probably leave in a day or two, three at most.  
  
Still smiling over the image, Angela put on her purple dress, picked up her basket, and left.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Angela shook her head again as she walked around the marketplace. Once again, the inhabitants of Port Cain had tried to rob her with their prices. Tried, of course, was the key word. As a very experienced bargainer, Angela knew every trick there was to get the best and cheapest price for the goods that she wanted. The young witch came from a long line of shrewd bargainers, and her family had not survived centuries of living on their own for nothing! This is why, after a long afternoon of arguing with various merchants, she was on her way home with a basket full of food and herbs, a small smirk on her face. The fact that her purse was still heavy also helped to lighten her mood a bit as well.  
  
After reaching her home, Angela placed her hat, basket, and purse on her table before pulling off her dress and changing into her light nightgown, even though it was only afternoon. Still, Angela had no reason to leave the house until Sparrow had left, and none of her customers would need any medicines anytime soon, so all Angela could do now was sit and wait for the pirate captain to leave.  
  
And that would be boring as hell.  
  
Angela frowned. Sharp women did not *do* boring! They always had something to work on, but currently there was nothing for her to do: her clothes didn't need to be mended, she had enough food to last until the Pearl left, and she couldn't hire someone to repair the roof until she had saved up enough money to do so. Sighing in frustration, Angela walked over to her bed and collapsed on top of it. Since she had nothing better to do, why not take a nap?  
  
And that's what she did, though the peacefulness of sleep did not last long.  
  
~(Dream Sequence)~  
  
Angela found herself standing in a world of fog. The air was chilled, and the whole place had a golden tint to it. As she looked around, the fog parted into the shape of a circle the size of a large mirror, showing the young witch a vision.  
  
Jessica Baker, elegant in a green gown that matched her eyes, sat at her dressing table in her room, primping her hair and smiling, her green eyes sparkling with something cold and arrogant. Her rosebud mouth moved, as though she were talking to herself aloud. Angela leaned in closer and gasped at what she heard.  
  
"Only a little bit longer, and the old woman will be dead," the blond smirked, patting her pinned up blond hair. "A good thing I slip that bit of belladonna into her tea every morning. I don't think I could stand her being alive much longer!"  
  
Angela saw red. "Belladonna in her aunt's tea!" she cried, clenching her fists tightly. "Belladonna can cause relaxation and sleep, but could slowly poison someone to death if used too often! What is that girl thinking?!"  
  
As if to answer her question, the teenager laughed. "Stupid old fool!" she said, powdering her face. "She's the only thing standing between me and my parents' fortune. As soon as she's gone, I'll be able to collect my inheritance as well as her immense fortune. Then I'll be free to marry anyone I want, and do whatever I want without anyone telling me what to do!" Jessica laughed again as she continued to powder her nose.  
  
Angela reached out to strangle the teenager before being pulled back towards real life.  
  
~(End Dream Sequence)~  
  
She woke up with such a jolt that she fell out of bed. Getting up and glancing about, she saw that it was pitch-black outside. Shaking her head, Angela walked over to her workbench and began gathering herbs from her newly bought bundles and from already gathered and dried bunches from around the hut. She had some serious work to do before dawn came!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Angela had just finished her work when the warm Caribbean sun beamed through her window. Rubbing her tired, red eyes, she yawned and stretched. She could sleep if she wished, but she dared not; Mrs. Baker needed her, and she had to get there before the old woman took her morning tea!  
  
Angela quickly dressed, packed up her basket with her prepared supplies, and headed out her door, racing towards the wealthier part of town. From the position of the sun, it was just after seven in the morning, and breakfast was served around this time at all parts of town. She had to hurry!  
  
Twenty minutes later, Angela was pounding on the front door of the Baker home, and a flustered-looking maid answered the door. Angela wasted no time before going into the white sitting room, interrupting Mrs. Baker and Jessica's breakfast. Before anything could be said, Angela went over and took Mrs. Baker's tea out of her hands, dumping the contents into the fire burning in the fireplace.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Jessica cried, jumping up in her fury.  
  
Angela looked at her calmly, her violet eyes hard. "I have a new medicine that your aunt needs to take at once," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. She then took her herbal packet out of her basket and poured some of its contents into her friend's empty cup. A stream of hot water from a canteen, also from her basket, followed. Carefully, Angela took up a small, clean spoon and mixed it all together before handing it to Mrs. Baker. Without a single question or comment, the old woman drank down the entire thing.  
  
This whole sequence had taken only a moment, and it took about that much time before the medicine took effect. The old woman's face began to have a healthier look and color to it, and she seemed to straighten up a bit more. A moment of silence followed before Jessica began screaming.  
  
"NO!" she cried. She turned towards Angela. "What did you do? What have you done?"  
  
The young witch simply shrugged. "I figured out that her sickness resembled some sickness I had seen previously, so I made up the medicine to correct it," she lied. No one would believe her if she told the truth anyway.  
  
Jessica fumed before stamping her foot. "You won't get away with this!" she screamed as she raced out of the room.  
  
Mrs. Baker blinked in puzzlement before shaking her head. "She always was an odd girl," she said. She looked up at Angela, curious as the young woman handed her a small package. "What's this?"  
  
Angela smiled. "This should tell you whether or not you should eat or drink something," she vaguely stated. "You can't be too careful about what you eat, after all." Mrs. Baker's eyes widened as Angela nodded towards where Jessica had raced out.  
  
"I see," the elderly woman whispered. Unwrapping the package, a small white stone lay in the middle.  
  
"The stone will have a black spot on it whenever something tainted comes near it, so keep it close," Angela forewarned. Without another word, she turned and left the house. She desired no payment for this; the fact that she had defeated Jessica and warned Mrs. Baker about her niece was enough for her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Well, I'm glad that some people like my story! It's based on my love for the WB show "Charmed," and my love for Jack Sparrow. Good combo, no? And I know that this might seem like a weird chapter, but I needed to tie things up in Port Cain for future chapters. Anyway, show your love by reviewing! Thanks! 


	3. Caught

Disclaimer: Still don't own the wonderful Jack Sparrow, or anyone/anything else associated with Disney. I wish I did, though.  
  
AN: Wow, not a lot of reviews for this story. I usually have more than 12 reviews, but maybe people are getting tired of me and my work...hmm. Well, for those of you who have actually read and reviewed this story, thanks, and if you can contact anyone else who likes my work, let them know this story is up! Thanks!  
  
Chapter 3: Caught:  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
Three days after getting robbed, Jack was still in Port Cain, drinking rum at a run-down tavern. He was still upset about getting his purse stolen, and desperately wanted to catch whoever did it. For the past three days he had tried asking around about the female thief, but it seemed that every woman in town had a gray dress and a large straw hat.  
  
In other words, his search had proved useless.  
  
Thoroughly frustrated, the pirate captain had tried drinking himself stupid, but it hadn't helped; he was obsessed with finding out who had robbed him, but didn't know why. He had been robbed several times before, and it had never bothered him...why would he obsess over it now? At the moment, he was situated in a bar, and it was because of that thief that he was currently trying to drink himself off his chair at three o' clock in the afternoon. Shaking his head at himself, Jack finished off another bottle of rum, listening in on other conversations from the dark corner that mostly hid him from sight.  
  
"Did ye hear?" one barmaid whispered nearby. "The Black Pearl is here!"  
  
Another server squealed. "That means that Captain Jack Sparrow is here, too! Do you think we'll meet him?"  
  
The first barmaid laughed. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "Wherever the Black Pearl is, Jack Sparrow is sure to be close by!" The two women then proceeded to head into the back room for more drinks.  
  
Jack sat up straight in his seat, slapping himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand. How could he have been so stupid?! Of course people would know he was here, if the Pearl was here! If that thief had targeted him on purpose, there was a good chance that they were hiding out until he and the Pearl left port. That would mean he wouldn't be able to catch them, unless...  
  
Jack suddenly smiled as he tossed some coins onto the table before heading out of the tavern and towards the docks.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"And that's what we're going to do!" Jack said proudly. Looking at his crewmembers, he clearly saw what they were thinking...which was that their captain was off his rocker.  
  
"Uh, Cap'n..." Mr. Gibbs said, raising his hand. "What exactly has got ye so obsessed with catchin' this here thief?"  
  
"Aye, she's just like every other pickpocket in the world," Annamaria said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why go after her?"  
  
Jack frowned at his crew. "Question, mates," he said, waving his arms around at all of them. "Who's the captain of this ship?" The rest of the crew looked a bit uneasy. "Well?" he asked, once again waving his arms around.  
  
"You are, sir," said another crewman, called Notch.  
  
"That's right!" Jack exclaimed. "And what I say goes, savvy? So are ye going to do what I say, or not?!"  
  
"Let's go over the plan again," said Annamaria. "Ye want us to sail off and leave ye here, all alone, for a day, just so you can catch a pickpocket?"  
  
"No, I want ye to take the Pearl off and come back later tonight, where I'll meet ye whether I catch the pickpocket or not," Jack retorted, his tone impatient.  
  
"So you want us to leave you to try and find a pickpocket that you've never seen the face of?" Annamaria asked, looking both shocked and appalled.  
  
"I don't need to see her face, Anna, because if she's poor enough to risk robbing a pirate, she's probably not rich enough to afford a lot of clothes," Jack retorted. "She'll be wearing that outfit a lot, and someday I'll spot her. I just need ye to leave so that she'll come out of hiding."  
  
"Is that really a good idea, Cap'n?" Mr. Gibbs asked. He shut up as Jack glared at him.  
  
"I've given ye orders, Gibbs, and I expect ye to follow them, savvy?" Jack asked his crew. They all nodded at him, and Jack picked up and donned his coat, hat, cutlass, and pistol before glancing over his crew. "Don't forget, meet me at the docks after midnight." The crew nodded again as their captain turned and left.  
  
An hour later, the Black Pearl sailed out of Port Cain, leaving their captain alone in the port city.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
It had been three days since she had robbed Captain Jack Sparrow, and Angela was still afraid of being caught. However, after three days of being locked up in her small hut, she felt a spout of cabin fever coming on. If she didn't get out soon, she knew she'd go mad!  
  
On the third night after her theft, she was fed up with her voluntary confinement. Deciding to take some action, Angela readied her scrying tools, fully intent on finding out whether or not the Pearl had left yet. A moment later, she was staring into the bowl, and the sight presented to her nearly made her jump for joy.  
  
The Black Pearl was gone!  
  
After double checking for it and still finding it gone, she really did jump for joy, jarring the bowl so hard that water splashed over the edge and onto the table. She didn't care, though; the Pearl was gone, and so was Captain Sparrow! She could now go out and have some fun!  
  
Once again wearing her gray dress and straw hat, Angela headed out of her hut, intent on doing some late-night shopping.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
It was a fairly late, nearly midnight, when Angela had finished with her small shopping expedition. She had met with a thread merchant, exchanging a packet of cold mixture for some black thread to mend her clothes. Now she was on her way to get a drink from one of the numerous local taverns, the Golden Sails, which had the best and cheapest ale in town. The young witch also chose the Golden Sails because it was the only tavern where she could show her face without people staring and whispering about her, mostly because all of the prostitutes and men that frequented there occasionally bought birth-preventing herbs from her. In return for her help, Angela sometimes got her ale extra cheap, since people kept coming back after finding out that they didn't have to worry about the whores getting with child. Shaking her head, she walked in through the door of the tavern, a wall of smoke and alcohol scents slamming into her face.  
  
'Now I remember why I don't drink here that often,' Angela thought, letting her nose adjust to the smells assaulting it. A moment later, she looked and saw several barmaids subtly wave to her over the bar. Taking that as a good sign, she began heading towards it, but halted when she spotted who was also looking at her from the bar...  
  
It was Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
Scared out of her wits, Angela took the opportunity to turn and race out of the bar, hoping that the pirate captain wouldn't be able to follow her. Picking up the hem of her dress, Angela raced home.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
Drinking down his second mug of rum, Jack set the empty vessel down on the bar, waving the server away when she made to refill it. The idea of Jack Sparrow refusing a refill of rum was an odd thing, in and of itself, but him refusing a refill after only his second mug? That was unheard of! Still, who could blame him? He had been hoping that he would run into that pickpocket again, but he hadn't, and the crew would be coming to pick him up any minute now. Just as he was getting up to head for the docks to meet the Pearl, he saw his thief, doing a double take just to be sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.  
  
Well, he thought it was her. She was wearing the same dress and hat that the thief had, but he hadn't expected her to be so...different. He had expected an old woman, or at least a very young girl, to be dressed so shabbily and to be stealing his purse; he hadn't expected a young woman! Her old straw hat was settled on loose night-black hair, which fell to the middle of her back. Bright violet eyes stared out from under the straw, sparkling against a face which held a golden tint to it, probably courtesy of an Asian family member somewhere. The sudden fear and recognition that filled those purple orbs was enough to shock him out of his assessment of her; she recognized him and that meant that she was the one he was looking for! However, just as he blinked his eyes, she was out the door, running. Cursing, Jack flipped a coin onto the bar, racing after his thief.  
  
Ten minutes later, the pirate was panting as he raced up a small hill, a small gray blur ahead of him. He watched as she disappeared into a small, run-down hut with a patchy roof. Stopping to catch his breath and formulate a plan, Jack analyzed the hut. The walls were plastered, but were so old that the plaster was falling off in large pieces, making it so that the bricks underneath were visible. The roof badly needed to be redone, and even the door and windows looked like they needed some work.  
  
Jack frowned, trying to formulate a plan. The windows were too small to fit through, but the door looked like it would cave in with a single kick. His mind made up, Jack drew out his cutlass. Taking a deep breath, Jack stalked up to the door and kicked it in; the door fell to the ground with a muffled 'thud,' and Jack took a quick look around. A quick look was all he needed; with the hut being so small, he easily found her, standing in the middle of the hut, her hat on the floor and her hair flying around her head, making her appear mad. Jack looked her in the eye, his cutlass in his hand, pointing at her chest with the moonlight glittering off of the cold steel.  
  
"I think ye owe me some money, lass," he growled. He saw the young woman gulp.  
  
"I can pay it back!" she cried, holding her hands up in defense. "I have all of it, I swear!"  
  
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked, skeptical. "Where is it?" The woman reached into her dress and pulled out a small pouch, tossing it to him. He caught it and tested its weight; he frowned. "Some of it's missing," he commented, tucking the pouch into his coat.  
  
She stared at him. "How do you know?" she timidly asked.  
  
Jack looked at her. "I'm a pirate," he remarked, as though stating the obvious. "We always know how much we're carrying by its weight." Looking the girl up and down for a moment, he motioned with his sword. "Come on, let's go. The Pearl will be here any minute, and we need to meet it."  
  
Her eyes widened. "What?" she cried. "You're not taking me with you!"  
  
Jack grinned nastily. "Well, ye don't really have a choice, now do ye?" he asked. "No, ye have to learn to never mess with pirates. Now come on, time's running short." He motioned again with the sword. "Ye really don't want me using this, now, do ye?" The woman gulped before moving towards the door. "By the way, luv, what's yer name?"  
  
"Angela," she whispered as they stepped out the door and into the night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
She had never been so terrified in her entire life. Even when the entire neighborhood had whispered against her in London, she hadn't been so scared. When she had spotted Captain Sparrow in that bar, her heart had nearly stopped. Even as she raced for her home, she'd thought she had lost him in the streets, hoping that he would give up and not follow her any further. Angela had then raced into her hut, slamming the door behind her as she caught her breath, thoroughly believing in her safety. When Captain Sparrow had come bursting into her hut a moment after she did, she thought she would die of fright. Then, when he had pointed his sword at her, she tried to use her powers to knock the cutlass away, but it hadn't worked! Her powers had never failed her before, but for some reason, they hadn't protected her this night!  
  
It was that last part that really unnerved her. Her family's powers never left them defenseless, unless something was meant to happen to them, or to someone they were helping. The end result was that she was now being led towards the docks with nothing but the clothes on her back and a pirate captain with a sharp sword preventing her escape.  
  
As they neared the docks, Angela caught sight of an eerie black ship sailing through the harbor, its black sails billowing in the pale moonlight. The sight made her hair stand on end as she remembered the feeling that it had given her three days previous. Only one ship had ever done such a thing to her senses.  
  
The Black Pearl was returning for its captain, and its crew wasn't going to take the robbing of their captain very lightly.  
  
As the ship docked and lowered the gangplank, Captain Sparrow ushered her onboard, staying between her and the plank as he escorted her away from her only means of escape.  
  
"Raise the gangplank!" he ordered. "Annamaria, get us out of here! Gibbs, I want my cabin lit and warm by the time I'm done with this here pickpocket!"  
  
"Aye, aye, sir!" cried a male and female voice as Angela was taken down below deck.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Not long afterwards, Angela was in a small cabin, barely large enough for a few articles of furniture. To a person looking in from the doorway, the bed stood at the back of the cabin, a small desk and chair on the left, and a small chest fit under the bed. A small window was over the bed. Angela wasn't enjoying the small view, though. She sat on the bed while the captain stood in front of her, his cutlass now hanging on his hip, his pistol opposite it. His arms were crossed, his already dark brown eyes were nearly black as he glazed down at her. In the little light there was coming from the single candle standing in a holder on the desk, Angela could see anger and frustration in his eyes. As she looked towards her hands, the pirate captain began to speak.  
  
"Ye have some nerve robbing a pirate, lass," he said, shifting his weight from his right foot to the left.  
  
Angela looked up and saw him glaring at her. "I'm sorry," she simpered, trying to shrink from his gaze. "I didn't know I was robbing you, Captain Sparrow, really I didn't! I just needed some money to get by for a little while. If I'd known it was you, I wouldn't have done it, I swear!"  
  
"That's no excuse," Captain Sparrow replied, his tone angry. "To pay off yer crime and the money that's missing, you'll be working here on the Pearl until I see fit to free ye, got it?"  
  
Her head snapped up. "But that's not fair!" she cried, standing up.  
  
"That's where you're wrong, lass," Captain Sparrow said, the anger still in his voice, a hint of annoyance also evident. "You robbed a pirate, a pirate captain, to be precise, and you need to know that doing so is not a good idea. So, until I can think of a decent chore for you to do, you'll be staying in here."  
  
With those final words, the pirate captain turned and left, shutting the door behind him. A click of the lock seemed to seal her fate as his footsteps faded down the hallway. Alone with her thoughts, the young witch lay herself down on the bed, curling up into a small ball to cry herself to sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: A somewhat shorter chapter this time, but that's okay. I'm kind of disappointed that no one is reading and reviewing this story. I'll probably keep writing it, though, just to get my ideas out there. It's just that reviews make me and my muses happy, so if you read this, please review! If not for me, than for my poor muses, who tend to get sad without encouragement. Thanks! 


	4. Experiences on the Black Pearl

Disclaimer: Still don't own the wonderful Jack Sparrow, or anyone/anything else associated with Disney. I wish I did, though.  
  
AN: A special thanks to those who have reviewed and encouraged me to continue this story...this chapter is for you! May you all have pleasant dreams about Jack tonight!  
  
Chapter 4: Experiences on the Black Pearl:  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
Angela woke up feeling a bit claustrophobic, but didn't know why. As the sun beamed through the window above her head on her left, she groaned, remembering what had happened the night before. However, before she could roll over and go back to sleep, she heard someone chuckle. Slowly turning around, she peeked through slightly opened eyes, seeing someone she least expected on a pirate ship.  
  
It was a woman. Her skin was a soft cocoa, and her hair was a dark brown. Her eyes matched her skin, and she wore a loose white shirt, black pants, a faded black sash, and rough black boots. A sword, pistol, and a dagger hung from a belt that went over the sash, and her face bore a slight smirk of amusement. Angela decided to pretend to still be asleep, hoping to be left alone. It didn't work.  
  
"No use tryin' to fool me, lass, I know you're awake," she said, her slight smirk turning into a full-fledged grin. "Besides, it's time fer ye to earn yer keep, and to pay back the Cap'n." She came over and poked Angela in the shoulder. "Come on, now, don't make me use my cutlass!"  
  
Angela groaned as she rolled out of bed. "What time is it?" she asked as she slowly stood up and smoothed her wrinkled dress.  
  
"A little after dawn," the woman said. "I'm Annamaria, by the way. Who're you?"  
  
"I'm Angela, Angela Sharp," she replied, holding her hand out to shake. Annamaria accepted.  
  
"Glad to meet ye," Annamaria replied, releasing her hand. "It's not everyday I meet a girl who can steal from Cap'n Jack Sparrow and live to tell the tale!" She laughed at Angela's shamed expression. "No worries, lass, ye seem alright, and the crew ain't mad at ye. We thought that the Cap'n over-reacted anyway, so don't be so hard on yerself."  
  
Angela sighed. "I didn't mean to steal from him, it's just that I was desperate, that's all," she said, shifting from foot to foot nervously.  
  
"Well, no use crying about it now," Annamaria stated. Suddenly, she frowned as she looked the newcomer over. "We need to get ye out of that horrible faded dress and into something better fer working on a pirate ship. Come on, let's find ye something in the stores to work in, what do ye say?" Angela nodded meekly, and the two women walked out of the room to begin the work day.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A few hours later, Angela was experiencing some mixed feelings about working on the Black Pearl. Annamaria had given her several pairs of pants, shirts, sashes, bandanas, and boots from the storage area before she introduced Angela to the rest of the crew, who seemed friendly. The elderly Mr. Gibbs was kind, though he kept muttering something about 'women' and 'bad luck,' but Angela just shrugged it off. Another elderly man with a parrot on his shoulder, Mr. Cotton, was cheerful, and Angela liked him, despite the fact that he was a mute and his parrot kept whistling at her. The rest of the crew was also friendly, and didn't seem upset about her picking their captain's pocket; it seemed that the only person who was upset about that was Jack himself.  
  
Speaking of the pirate captain, Angela hadn't seen him all day. It had been Annamaria who had assigned Angela her chores, and boy, were there a lot of them. So far, Angela had scrubbed the floor of the galley, washed and prepared the food to be cooked for lunch, washed the dishes, and had prepared the food to be cooked for dinner tonight. Just when she thought she would collapse from exhaustion, Mr. Gibbs had told her to take a rest until dinner, which she would *not* be helping with. After dinner, her only chore was to wash the dishes, and then her day would be over. Relief passed over her as she sat and stared at the wall of her cabin, content with finally receiving a break.  
  
This relief lasted only half an hour. After that, the young witch felt that she would go mad from boredom. Getting up, she exited her cabin and went in search of Annamaria, who was at the helm.  
  
Angela looked at her, puzzled. "Shouldn't the Captain be doing that?"  
  
Annamaria grinned. "The Captain's a bit ill; probably had too much rum last night."  
  
A disbelieving look settled on her face. "It's after noon; surely his hangover would be over by now?" Angela asked. "I'm an herbalist, and could help out, if it's possible."  
  
Annamaria stared at her. "Yer a medicine woman?!" she cried. "Why didn't ye say so? I wouldn't have made ye do all of those chores if I'd known; we're in desperate need of mixtures." She called Gibbs over to take the wheel. "Come on, lass, let's go." She grabbed Angela by the hand and led her downstairs, past the galley, and into a dark room. Angela took a deep whiff and instantly knew where they were before Annamaria had even lit a candle she had somehow found.  
  
They were in the ship's medicine room. There were herbs of every variety hanging from the ceiling, stored in jars, or pressed between sheets of cloth, and the young witch felt like she was in heaven; not even her mother had had so many herbs in their home in London!  
  
"If ye can mix up somethin' effective to help the Cap'n, ye'll be free from all other chores on the Pearl," Annamaria said. "We need medicines of all kinds, but haven't had the right person to do it. What do ye say, lass?"  
  
Angela smiled before going straight to work, the dark-skinned woman watching in amazement. She mixed herbs and water together in such a quick fashion that the pirate woman had no doubts about her skills, and knew that the Pearl had found a treasure worth more than her weight in gold. After all, a good herbalist is hard to find, and even harder to get to work on a pirate ship!  
  
Ten minutes later, the two were at the door of the Captain's Quarters. Angela was a bit nervous about knocking, so Annamaria did it instead.  
  
"Who the bloody hell is it?!" yelled a voice from inside. Apparently it was a really bad hangover.  
  
"It's Annamaria, Cap'n," the dark woman called. "Angela's here, too, and she's got somethin' fer yer hangover!"  
  
"What does a pickpocket know about hangovers?" the obviously annoyed (and suffering) Captain yelled through the door.  
  
"I'm an herbalist, Captain," Angela replied nervously. "My mixture should help instantly."  
  
A moment of silence passed before there was a grunt from inside and the door was opened. A very unkempt Jack Sparrow stood there, his clothes all wrinkled and out of place, and he was clearly in pain. He looked at the cup in Angela's hand before grabbing it and drinking it down. An instant later, his face cleared up, and he seemed to stand up a bit taller, a small smile on his face.  
  
"Well, lass, if every mess ye make works like this, I might not let ye go after all!" he exclaimed.  
  
"So she's off the normal chore list, Cap'n?" Annamaria asked, a bit surprised at his mood change.  
  
"Aye, that she is!" Jack exclaimed as he went inside and grabbed his hat before coming out into the afternoon sun. Cheerfully humming a song, he went up to the helm and took control, leaving behind two very surprised women.  
  
"Well, that went better than expected!" Annamaria exclaimed. "I think that ye've made quite the good impression on the Cap'n, lass! Now let's go get ye situated in the medicine room."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A month later, Angela had become a very welcome presence onboard the Pearl. Her herbal skills soon had the galley full of burn balm, numbing liquids for surgeries, and other such medicines, and the crew was ever grateful for them, especially after ship raids. Her talent with herbs also helped to make dinner taste better. However, there were a few events that made the crew a bit uneasy around her.  
  
The first incident had been a few days after helping Jack with his hangover, when Angela, while being on deck, had felt something prick her on the back of her neck. Reaching up, she felt nothing, and a quick look around showed that no one was close by. Rubbing her neck again, she soon noticed a white feather from Mr. Cotton's parrot float by and land in a bucket near her feet. Looking inside the bucket, she saw that the feather had changed from snow white to a light gray in the filthy water. Swallowing hard, Angela knew that this was a forewarning, a sign, of a heavy storm coming up. She had given the Captain small mention of it, and the ship had been prepared for the imminent storm.  
  
A second forewarning had happened a few days later, when the Pearl had been restocking. Jack had ordered five crates of rum (for himself), and Angela had been the first one to intercept them. As she laid a hand on one crate, she felt that something was off about it, and asked the delivery man to open it. He had refused and told her that she could open it herself after he had left. The young witch had glared at him with gem-stone cold eyes, and the man had paled before opening the crate, revealing that the crate was half-empty when it should have been full. The rest of the crew looked inside and was furious that the rum merchant had tried to cheat their captain, and had nearly beheaded the delivery man before Jack came out and stopped them. He had gotten the rum for free, as well as an extra five crates to keep quiet about it, and the crew had remained happy with the turn out.  
  
After that, other, smaller, things had happened, such as Angela finding lost items and returning them to their right owners when she shouldn't have known who they belonged to. The crew started getting suspicious at that point and had told Jack, but he had waved it off, saying it was nothing. However, after one too many coincidences, he decided to have a small chat with the crew's newest member.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Angela sat nervously in her chair in Jack's cabin, her hands twisting around themselves as the devilishly handsome pirate captain looked at her. His expressive brown eyes stared at her, an odd look of warmth in them, asking her to tell him everything about her. She knew that if she told him everything, he and his crew would lock her up or kill her the first chance they got, so she kept her mouth shut until he asked her something. Jack raised an eyebrow. "So, lass, it seems that my crew has a small bone to pick with ye," he said, sitting back in his chair as he looked at her, his hands expressively waving around. "Mind telling me how ye happen to know stuff before it happens, or know when something's wrong?"  
  
Angela shrugged. "I just happen to have good timing and a knack for keeping my eyes open, that's all," she said. "I'm a good observer, Captain, nothing more."  
  
Jack chuckled. "That's true, ye always seem to be in the back, watchin' people," he commented as he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes glided over her figure, disturbing her, before his gaze stopped at her face and looked her in the eye. "Just try not to scare the crew too much, luv, they're a bit superstitious." He winked at her, grinning as he propped his feet up on the table.  
  
Angela smiled at him. "Aye, Captain, I promise I won't..." she was cut off when she felt a sudden pain in her head. 'What on earth?' she thought as she fell out of her chair, straight to her knees as she clutched her head in pain.  
  
"Luv, what is it?" Jack said, jumping out of his chair and running to her side, wrapping his arms around her.  
  
She couldn't tell him because she was receiving a vision, which for her was very rare and came when danger was near. This one held a splendid ship with white sails and gold paint decorated the side, displaying the name of the ship called the Dauntless. A closer look showed a man in an embroidered blue coat and a powdered wig, smirking as he glanced at a drawing of Jack. The vision ended as soon as it started. Angela snapped out of it before looking up, not expecting to see Jack's face so close to hers. She looked into his brown eyes and knew that she would have to lie to him. As she nervously licked her lips, she also knew that it would have to be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
When Angela had started clutching her head in pain, he panicked before mentally kicking himself for doing so. Captain Jack Sparrow never panicked for any reason! However, all sense of reason fled the moment Angela seemed to be in pain. On a basic instinct to protect her, Jack flew out of his chair and to Angela's side, wrapping his arms around her.  
  
"Luv, what is it?" he asked, looking down at her. Less than a moment later, she looked up at him, her somber amethyst eyes staring into his. As he looked down at her, he saw her lick her lips nervously. Swallowing hard in reaction, Jack tried to get control of himself. "Luv?" he whispered to her.  
  
"Nothing," she said, looking way. "I just get sudden headaches once and a while, that's all. They always end as quickly as they come. I'm alright."  
  
Confused, Jack helped her to get to her chair before going to pour her a glass of water. As he handed the glass to her, he looked her up and down, trying to figure her out. He knew that there was something different about her, he just didn't know what. She claimed that her ability to find things and predict things before they happened was just her sense of observation, but he knew differently. After all, he was Captain Jack Sparrow, and he had seen more different and unusual things than the normal person. Still, there was something different about the Pearl's new herbalist, and he was determined to find out what. However, before he could go any further in his thoughts, they were interrupted by their cause.  
  
"Captain, you are wanted by the Royal Navy, aren't you?" she asked, setting the now empty glass aside.  
  
Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "Of course, luv," he said, leaning against the table as he crossed his arms. "Why do ye ask?"  
  
"Well, Annamaria told me that we're very close to several large English ports, and I thought that it would be a good idea if you kept an eye open for any Navy ships, that's all," she said, avoiding his gaze as she spoke.  
  
He frowned in thought. "Ye might be right, Angela," he said, rubbing his beard. "I'll tell the crew to keep a good look out going at all times." His eyes found hers, and he smiled at her. "Good idea, luv. After all, we pirates can't be too careful when it comes to the Navy." Jack stood straight up and walked to the door of his cabin, pausing when he reached it. Turning around, his eyes met her. "Ye might want to go and help Gibbs prepare dinner; for some reason it always turns out better when ye help out down there." With those final words, he opened the door and left.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
She felt terrible about having to lie to him, but she couldn't help it. After all, she wasn't doing this just for her sake; she was doing it to help keep the crew from rebelling against him for letting a witch onboard the Pearl. The last thing she needed was for an innocent person to suffer for her inability to keep her 'gifts' a secret. As she watched Jack leave, she went over to his desk and took the collapsed telescope off of it. Pulling it out to its full length, Angela walked to the floor-length windows at the back of the Captain's Cabin and looked through it. Sure enough, there was a small speck on the horizon. Collapsing the telescope again, she headed out on deck to check and see if there was anyone in the crow's nest. There was, but they were looking the wrong way! Exasperated, Angela looked up at the helm and was relieved to see Jack standing there, steering. He looked down at her and smiled.  
  
"I thought ye'd be below deck helping Gibbs," he said. "What are ye doing up here?"  
  
Angela walked straight up to him and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Captain, I think that we're being followed," she said, nodding her head towards the rear of the ship.  
  
Jack turned around to look. "I don't see anything, luv," he said quietly. "Maybe yer imagining things?"  
  
She shook her head as she pulled out the telescope to full size and gave it to him. "Take a look for yourself," she said. As he looked through the device, she saw his face go from relaxed, to surprised, to thoughtful.  
  
"Yer right, darling, we are being followed," he said. Collapsing the telescope, Jack turned toward the crew and started barking orders. "All hands on deck, ye lazy dogs! We're being followed, and I want full sails so that we can outrun them! Get to it!"  
  
The crewmen (and woman) raced around deck, unfurling the sails to their fullest extent to catch all of the Caribbean breezes. Angela stood by his side as Jack kept barking orders to ready the guns for any possible attacks, and the crew was running around as though someone were chasing them with whips and hot pokers.  
  
For the rest of the day, Jack and the crew kept an eye on the ship following them, and were relieved when they finally caught a good breeze to get them out of there. When night fell, the ship behind them was long out of sight, and Jack steered the ship towards a small, uninhabited island, where he stowed the ship inside a hidden cove. After the anchor had been lowered, the crew took a collective deep breath and relaxed. Mr. Gibbs took a drink from a small flask as Mr. Cotton petted his bird and fed it a cracker. Annamaria sat down on a tall coil of rope and wiped her face with her sleeve. The rest of the crew sat down directly on the deck or on whatever they could find to sit on.  
  
Jack turned and looked at the crew's newest member. "Angela, ye seem to be the only one not tired out, why don't ye go and make dinner for the crew?" he asked.  
  
"Aye, sir," she said as she went below deck.  
  
Little did she know that the crew was discussing the day's earlier events, and her involvement in them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
He could tell that the crew was exhausted, and that Angela was the only on fresh enough to prepare dinner for everyone, so he sent her down to do the job. However, feeding the whole crew wasn't the only thing on his mind; he intended to talk to the crew about the day's events.  
  
"Alright everyone, gather around. We need to have a talk," he said, waving his arms around theatrically. As soon as everyone was surrounding him, he began to talk about what had happened with Angela's headache and her question about the Royal Navy. The crew began frowning after that, and began putting in their suggestions on what to do about their newest member.  
  
"I think we should ask her about herself," Gibbs said, crossing his arms. "There's somethin' a bit off about that lass, and I want to know what."  
  
"She's done nothin' but good since she came onboard, Gibbs, even ye can't argue with that," Annamaria said, hands on her hips. "She made that muscle ointment that ye put on after every raid, so don't tell me that she's evil or bad luck, because nothin' bad has happened since she came onboard."  
  
"Aye, but that's the point, now, isn't it?" asked another crewman named Spike. "Nothin's happened because she always seems to make sure it *doesn't* happen in the first place!" The rest of the crew nodded in agreement.  
  
"So what do ye want to do about it?" Jack asked. "I don't want another mutiny just because ye all are afraid of the lass and her small abilities." The crew shrugged in response.  
  
"I think that she's down right handy, Cap'n," Annamaria said, glaring at the others. "Her medicines are the best I've ever seen, and she's never done us any harm. I say keep her until we're sure, that's all." The rest of the crew reluctantly nodded in agreement.  
  
"Alright, then, that's what we'll do," Jack said as he looked at them all. "Now let's all go down for dinner before she gets suspicious." Everyone raced downstairs for their dinner and their beds.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that night, as the last crewman drifted off to sleep, Angela suddenly got the strangest feeling that she needed to keep her eyes and ears open in the future, because her life onboard the Pearl probably depended on it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Thanks again to everyone who's supported this story through their reviews; you rock! Your compliments give me the inspiration to carry on. Thanks again and please review! 


	5. Discoveries and Deals

Disclaimer: Still don't own the dashingly handsome Jack Sparrow. I just dream that I do.  
  
AN: Reviewers rock! Seriously, they do! They inspire me to write more chapters, and to make them better and better. I love you all! And I'm sorry about the lateness of this chapter. One explanation: School sucks! Enjoy the new chapter!  
  
**Chapter 5: Discoveries and Deals**:  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
The day after escaping the Navy, Jack and his crew headed towards the galley for breakfast, stopping in their tracks when they spotted all of the glorious food decorating the galley's table. There were sausages, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes, all piled high on large plates and enough to feed an army (or at least a group of hungry pirates)! In less time than it took to blink twice, the group was at the table, practically attacking their food, all of them talking, laughing, and yelling while they ate.  
  
Meanwhile, Angela was in the kitchen, washing the dishes she had used to make breakfast for the crew. She was glad that she had already eaten, because there probably wouldn't be anything left after Jack and the crew were done! She was also glad that she had this time alone with her thoughts. The young witch knew that the crew was suspicious about her premonitions and abilities, and that if they knew that she was a witch, they would kill her faster than she could blink. As she worked her way through the enormous pile of dishes, she came to the conclusion that the only way to prevent her execution at the hands of the crew would be to stop using her gifts.  
  
'Then that's what I'll do,' Angela decided, giving the final pan one last rinse as Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria started bringing in the dirty eating dishes. 'If I do that, then I can stay alive long enough to pay back the Captain and get off the ship! I might even find a way back to Port Cain!'  
  
She suddenly froze. But what if she didn't want to go back? She had been on the Pearl for a while now, over a month in fact, and had never mentioned wanting to go back to the town she had been abducted from. Not that she had anything to go back to, anyway. All of her possessions had probably been picked over by beggars and other such lowlifes, and she hadn't left anything valuable there either, because she didn't own anything of value. The question was: would the Captain keep her onboard if she asked to stay? She actually felt like she belonged here on the Pearl, where she was free to practice her herbal skill and get room and board while doing it! Maybe, if she stayed long enough, she would start getting a bit of the goods the Pearl raided from other ships! However, until Captain Sparrow decided that she had paid off her debt to him, she would have to be content with washing dishes, making medicines, and occasionally cooking for the crew. And speaking of dishes...  
  
Angela sighed as she reached for the new stack of dirty dishes before her hands were stopped by a pair of cocoa ones. Looking up, she met the friendly eyes of Annamaria sparkling back at her.  
  
"No worries, Angie, I've got them," the pirate woman said, grinning. "Why don't ye go and take a rest? You've probably been up since before dawn, cookin' all that food. Go and take a nap, lass, Jack says that ye have the morning off." Annamaria emphasized her point by grabbing Angela by the shoulders and shoving her out the galley door.  
  
Sighing again, this time in relief, Angela headed for her quarters, intent on getting a few more hours of sleep.  
  
Three hours later, Angela was woken up by someone pounding on the door of her cabin. Rubbing her eyes, she got up and opened the door to find a widely grinning Jack Sparrow.  
  
"Morning, luv," he said, leaning against the doorway of her cabin. "What do ye say to a couple hours of sword practice? I know ye don't know how to use one, so why don't we start the lessons right now?"  
  
Angela tilted her head to the side in puzzlement. "Why would I need to use one? You keep me down below whenever you fight or raid someone, anyway," she said.  
  
"Ye need to know how to fight because I can't protect ye forever, lass. What if someone got down below and attacked ye?" Jack asked, as though it should have been obvious. "Now let's get going."  
  
Groaning tiredly, Angela obediently followed the pirate captain, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.  
  
An hour later, the two were on deck, fighting for their lives. Well, Angela was fighting for her life; Jack just stood there swinging his sword with little effort, as though he tremendously bored with the situation (which he probably was, being the skilled pirate that he was). Meanwhile, Angela felt like her arms were going to fall off from swinging her new sword around so many times.  
  
"Captain, can we please stop?" she whined, slouching forward a bit to emphasize her exhaustion.  
  
"Not yet, luv," he said, smiling at her weariness as he raised his cutlass again. "I know ye can do it, so get to it!"  
  
Groaning in exhaustion, that's what she did. For another twenty minutes, Angela attempted to fight off the aggressive attacks being rained on her by her tutor. However, being as tired as she was, her attention began to fade, and she didn't see that Jack was taking a swing at her head until it was too late to block it.  
  
Her eyes widened in response and, dropping her sword in panic, her hands came up to try and stop the blow through natural instinct. What she didn't count on was the sword flying out of Jack's hand and landing, quivering, in the railing of the ship, five feet away from them!  
  
The entire deck went deathly quiet as the crew turned to look at her. Not knowing what to do, and still stunned from her unexpected use of magic, Angela stood stock-still, staring at the sword.  
  
"Well," Jack said, snapping out of his surprise and sashaying over to the sword before walking around it, inspecting it carefully. "That's interesting." Glancing first at the sword and then the wood, it looked like he was measuring how deep it had been imbedded. He reached out and pulled it out of the wood with some difficulty, taking a good look at the weapon. "That's very interesting." Turning around, his brown eyes held a bit of curiosity and interest as they met Angela's frightened purple ones. "Care to explain how ye did that, luv?"  
  
She visibly paled under his gaze, as well as the gaze of over a dozen crewmembers. She opened her mouth to explain. Unfortunately, nothing came out.  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
When his sword had flown out of his hands, Jack was a bit surprised. He hadn't lost a fight yet, and his first thought was that he had been drinking too much today and had lost his grip. That thought was dismissed when Jack remembered that he hadn't had any rum since breakfast, and that had been hours ago, so his mind looked for another explanation. A quick glance at Angela told him that she hadn't knocked the cutlass out of his hands, primarily because hers had been dropped onto the deck before his sword had gone flying. Since no one else would have dared to interfere with their sparing practice, Jack was left in a puzzled surprise as his crew gathered around them, staring at the terrified woman. Mentally shrugging, Jack went over to inspect the sword.  
  
"Well," Jack said, as he walked over to the sword, taking a moment to inspecting it carefully. "That's interesting." Mentally examining it, it looked like it must have been imbedded up to at least two inches of the blade. That in itself was impressive; it would have taken a talented swordsman to do such a thing. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of the handle and pulled it out of the wood with some difficulty, mentally noting that it would have taken a powerful thrust to have imbedded the sword in the wood. "That's very interesting." Turning around, his brown eyes met Angela's. "Care to explain how ye did that, luv?" He couldn't wait to hear her explanation. He watched as her mouth opened, and nothing came out. A second later, it wasn't from her that the answer came from.  
  
"She's a witch!" Notch cried out, pointing at her. "I knew somethin' was wrong with her!"  
  
"Shut yer mouth!" Jack snapped at him. "I want to hear what happened from her!"  
  
Notch glared at him. "Cap'n, she's a witch!" he insisted. "She's probably been doin' all sorts of evil things in her cabin, like sacrificin' rats and makin' poisonous brews!"  
  
"Notch, ye bloody idiot," Annamaria cried. "Her cabin can barely hold her and the furniture, never mind any other sort of things! And she'd never make poisonous medicines because if she did, we'd all be dead from using them! Use yer head, man!"  
  
"I am!" Notch replied, glaring at Angela, who visibly shrank under his gaze. "I say we tie her up and dump her overboard, just to be safe!" The rest of the crew then began arguing about the idea and about what to do next.  
  
It was Notch's suggestion that made Jack snap. He may be a pirate, but Jack would never cause harm to a woman, even one with such unusual, and possibly helpful, abilities. Plus, the idea of harm coming to Angela caused some sort of unknown protective/possessive feeling to emerge from within his heart. Not liking the new feeling emerging inside him, Jack quickly pushed it aside as his anger sprang forth.  
  
"Quiet, all of ye!" Jack roared, immediately silencing the crew. After taking a few deep breaths to calm down, he spoke again. "We aren't going to do anything to her until I get some answers, savvy?" The rest of the crew nodded reluctantly. "Good; Gibbs, Annamaria, help me take Angela to her cabin. I want the rest of ye gathered in the galley fer a meeting in an hour." He waved his hands in dismissal and his orders were carried out.  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
As she was led below, Angela breathed a small sigh of relief. She had honestly thought that her heart would stop when Notch had wanted her bound and thrown overboard, and was thankful that Jack had stopped the whole thing from happening. However, being thrown overboard would be preferable to being questioned by the Captain of the Black Pearl. At least if she were thrown overboard, she could free herself from the ropes or chains holding her with her powers and then try and swim to the nearest island. She couldn't use magic to deal with Captain Jack Sparrow, who had fought, and won, against undead pirates and cursed treasures!  
  
A hard shove in the shoulder jolted her out of her thoughts, and the next thing she knew, she was in Jack's cabin and seated in a chair in the small meeting/eating area adjacent to the sleeping part of the cabin. She was seated facing the windows with the doors behind her, preventing easy escape. Annamaria was seated on her right, Mr. Gibbs on her left. Meanwhile, Jack was sitting right across from her, his back facing the large windows.  
  
For a moment, Angela simply looked at the pirate captain. The Caribbean filtered through the salt-encrusted class, making him look like he was glowing. His hair looked darker than ever, and she had never in all her life had seen a man look so attractive!  
  
Angela looked down at the table, mentally kicking herself. Now was _not_ the time for this! If she lived through the day, _then_ she think about the dashing captain in her own cabin. Until then, she would have to simply sit and do whatever she could to survive the day! The sound of Jack clearing his throat attracted her attention to him once again.  
  
"Well, lass," Jack said, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on the table. "Would ye care to explain what happened up there? I'm sure that Gibbs and Annamaria would like to know, too."  
  
Angela felt a huge lump rise in her throat and tried to swallow around it, panic rising in her chest. Annamaria must have seen her trouble, because she got up and fetched a small glass of scotch for her. Giving her friend and grateful smile, Angela took a mouthful of the stuff and swallowed, letting the alcohol burn down her throat and relax her a bit. After finishing the scotch, Angela took a look around the table and sighed.  
  
"I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this," she said, taking the glass in her hand and fiddling with it as she talked. "I was hoping to never have anyone find out my...abilities."  
  
"And what abilities do ye have exactly, lass?" Mr. Gibbs asked gently.  
  
Angela shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she looked up at them. "I promise to explain, but don't interrupt until I've finished, alright?" The three nodded. "Alright; Notch is right...I am a witch," she said, looking at the hand that was still fiddling with the empty scotch glass. "The women in my family have been witches for over five hundred years. We've traveled all over Europe in an attempt to hide our powers, but still trying to subtly use them to try and help people. We also try to help by using our talents with herbs to provide aid wherever it's needed. We aren't bad witches, for we do no harm unless the situation requires it. The reason that I didn't tell is because of what happened up on deck. My family has had so many problems with angry and fearful villagers that we have to move all over the place. I have family scattered all over Europe, Asia, and even Africa, all hiding out from the witchhunts." Angela blinked as her thoughts wandered. "Well, maybe they aren't exactly hiding in Africa, since they can openly practice their magic and herbal talents in the African tribes. I hear that the African tribes are more understanding about that sort of thing, and are actually very respectful to herbalists and magicians." Angela shook her head. "Sorry, I'm babbling. I don't exactly have a high tolerance for alcohol."  
  
"That's alright, Angie," Annamaria said. "I did give ye quite a good bit of scotch."  
  
"So what exactly are yer talents, anyway?" Jack asked, pulling his feet off the table as he leaned closer.  
  
"I can move small things with my mind. I can also find lost objects, and read signs for when something bad is going to happen," Angela said, shrugging. "I can sometimes see the future if it's something really dangerous, like the Royal Navy trying to find and hang us."  
  
Jack chuckled slightly. "I think the whole crew should be damn thankful fer that last one, darling," he said, winking at her, causing her to blush. "Otherwise we might all be dancin' at the end of a noose!" Gibbs and Annamaria chuckled as well. "Well, lass, ye've managed to save the lives of my crewmates, as well as healed their wounds. I say that accounts for somethin'."  
  
Annamaria frowned. "Well, that there's the problem, Cap'n," she said looking at him. "The crew's going to want a good reason for keeping her onboard, and her being an herbal woman might not be enough. They'll want to throw her off and get someone else to do that chore."  
  
"Aye, she's right, Jack," Gibbs said. "I like havin' the lass onboard, the crew hasn't been ill or had health problems ever since ye brought her onboard, but everyone else will want a good reason for our keeping her here."  
  
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment before he started smiling. "Ye say that ye can find things, right lass?"  
  
Angela frowned a bit. "I usually find things unintentionally, Captain," she said, looking at him. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Jack grinned even broader, his gold teeth winking as he looked at her. "Because I want ye to find something specific," he replied. "It's something of value...a treasure that I've been looking for for quite a while and haven't been able to find."  
  
Angela looked at him suspiciously, her left eyebrow quirked. "What kind of treasure?"  
  
"The Treasure of the Blue Heron," Jack replied, smiling. He turned and nodded at Annamaria and Gibbs, who were also smiling. He leaned forward, clasping his hands on the table in front of him. "Ye see, lass, a hundred years ago, after that dolt Columbus 'found' the Americas, Spain sent out all sorts of ships to investigate the Caribbean, and the Blue Heron was one such ship. It was a very large ship, and was supposedly bound for Spain from the Caribbean, carrying gold, jewels, and Indian slaves in tribute to the monarchs. On its way east, it had dropped the slaves off at one of the islands on the outskirts of the Caribbean, but it never made it to Spain." Jack smirked. "Some say it was taken by pirates, but if it had been, I'd have heard about it. After all," he said, grinning at her. "I am Captain Jack Sparrow, and I know everything about pirates and their raids."  
  
Angela giggled in spite of herself and saw that Jack looked pleased for some reason. "So what do you think happened to it?" she asked, leaning forward, wanting to hear more of the story.  
  
"Well, that's the thing, luv," Jack replied, once again leaning back in his chair, his hands now dancing in the air as he spoke. "Lots of people say that the captain of the Heron had gotten greedy and had taken the treasures for himself, but couldn't use it until Spain had stopped looking for him. Instead, it's said that he took the treasure and hid it on one of the many small islands that call the Caribbean 'home.' Since Spain had stopped looking for it only twenty years ago, the traitorous captain never got to actually spend the treasure for fear of getting caught. Since all of its crewmembers have disappeared, and are likely dead of old age, there's no one left who knows where it is." Jack leaned forward again, his brown eyes staring into hers. "I want ye to help me find the Treasure of the Blue Heron, and in return, I'll cut ye a part of the treasure and consider yer debt paid off."  
  
Angela blinked for a moment in surprise before frowning in thought. "Captain, the only way I could find the treasure is if I have a piece of it to focus on," she said, shaking her head. "Other than that, it won't work and you'll be back where you started."  
  
Jack grinned broadly. "Then ye should be happy to know that some of the Heron's crewmembers were idiots and had spent a coin or two of the treasure before it went missing," he said. "It so happens that I know a man in Tortuga who has a coin or two of the Heron's treasure, and he and I are the only two people who know about it...well, until now, that is." He stood up. "Gibbs, Annamaria, tell the crew Angela's background, and that we'll be headed for Tortuga to meet an old friend of mine on business."  
  
"Aye, Cap'n," nodded the two pirates as they headed out the door.  
  
"Now, Angela," he said, turning towards her, looking her straight in the eye. "I'm afraid that with the crew all suspicious about ye staying alone in yer quarters, ye can't go back there."  
  
Angela paled. "What do you mean to do then?" she asked. She hoped that didn't mean what she thought it meant.  
  
"It means that yer going to have to bunk in here with me," he replied, smiling as he waved his arms around gracefully.  
  
Angela's eyes widened as she went pale. "Why can't I stay with Annamaria?" Angela asked in panic.  
  
"Because the crew will think that having two women together would be worse than having ye by yerself," Jack stated, looking her in the eye, still smiling, though a bit too eagerly for her liking. "Besides, it won't be so bad sharing with me. Ye'll have half of the bed, and the changing frame to dress behind. I'm mostly out on deck at the helm, so ye'll have the cabin to yerself fer most of the day, after yer chores. How does that sound?"  
  
Angela frowned at the idea. "No funny business, right, Captain?" she asked, making sure.  
  
Jack grinned, gold teeth glittering. "Of course not, luv," he said, holding his hand up, as though swearing an oath. "And since we'll be roommates, call me Jack. And I swear that nothing will happen between us...unless ye want it to?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
Angela simply snorted in amusement. "In your dreams, Captain. I'll go get my things," she said, shaking her head as she closed the door behind her.  
  
"Pity," Jack muttered to himself as he went over to the alcohol cabinet for a bottle of rum. "I was hoping she'd say 'yes.'" He popped open the bottle and took a long drink as he waited for his lovely roommate to return.

AN: Sorry about the long wait. College sucks because I've had boatloads of papers to write and not enough time to do much else. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review! Thanks! 


	6. Unexpected Events

Disclaimer: I only own the fabulous Jack Sparrow through owning the DVD. That's all, so suing me is of no use.  
  
AN: Yes, few people have read AND reviewed this story, and it breaks my heart. However, to those of you who take time out of your busy day to review after reading, I thank you. My muses thank you as well, since reviews help keep them inspired. Enjoy the new chapter!  
  
Chapter 6: Unexpected Events:  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
It was at least a two week journey to Tortuga, and as she packed her things to move, Angela was terrified at what the crew might do to her during that time. Notch was still suspicious of her, as were a few others, but the rest of the crew trusted Jack, Annamaria, and Gibb's decision to keep her onboard. After all, if the extremely superstitious Mr. Gibbs liked having a witch on the Pearl, who were they to argue? Still, the young woman was afraid that someone would try and sneak up on her while she was alone, which was why she was thankful that Jack had asked her to stay in his cabin.  
  
The idea of sharing a cabin with Jack somewhat disturbed Angela. She was afraid that the crew would think of her as Jack's new "wench" and try to make life difficult for her from then on. However, as she finished moving her things into his cabin, that fear was put to rest. As she walked by the galley, she overheard the Captain talking to the crew. Pausing momentarily, Angela leaned against the closed door to listen in.  
  
"I want all of ye to keep yer hands off of the lass, and keep yer comments to yerselves, savvy?" Jack said firmly. "No jokes about her being my new bedwarmer or anything, understand? I won't have ye harming her pride like that!"  
  
"Then why is she staying in yer cabin, Cap'n?" Notch asked, still suspicious.  
  
"To make sure none of ye harm her," Jack snapped. "She's a good lass, and doesn't need the threat of death hanging over her like a shadow! This is also so I can keep an eye on her to settle everyone's suspicion about what she might do alone in her own cabin, savvy? Now get back to work!"  
  
Hearing the sound of scrapping chairs and rough boots walking towards her, Angela quickly raced to Jack's cabin. Needless to say, she was very touched that Jack was protecting her from the crew like this. She had never imagined him as the kind and considerate type, but there he was, facing down his crew for her! She wished that there were some way to thank him, but finding the treasure might be enough of a 'thank you' in the end.  
  
A few hours later, Angela finished unpacking and storing her things in the chests that Jack had gotten out of storage for her, feeling very good about the new arrangement. After a moment of rest, Angela realized that it was after dark, after supper, and Jack wasn't back yet. Oh, well, she wasn't hungry and hadn't been responsible for dinner tonight anyway, and Jack would likely stay at the helm for a while yet. Turning around, Angela saw that there was only one bed in the Captain's cabin!  
  
"How could I have missed that?!" she exclaimed. "Oh, well, it's too late now." There was no way to get another bed in here, and no materials onboard to build one, so she'd have to live with it until they got to Tortuga.  
  
Shrugging, Angela decided to take one side of the bed, leaving the side on her right open for Jack. It was still a bit early for bed, but she was so tired she decided to turn in early. Jack would probably be at the helm until well after the midnight call, anyway. After pulling on a loose nightgown, she slipped under the sheets of the large bed and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Angela woke up on her right side, her front pressed against something soft, firm, and warm. Thinking it was a pillow, she snuggled up closer to it, hugging it towards her. However, she didn't expect it to hug her back!  
  
Her eyes snapping open, she tilted her head back a little and looked up at the peaceful, sleeping face of Captain Jack Sparrow! Trying not to panic, Angela tried analyzing the situation by looking at what had happened. Jack was lying on his left side, facing her, his right arm wound around her waist as he slept. Looking closer, she realized that Jack wasn't wearing a shirt...and from the feel of bare skin pressing against her own thigh, he wasn't wearing any pants, either!  
  
Taking a huge swallow, Angela tried to move away, but was held close to the naked Captain by the firm, muscular arm around her waist. She was extremely thankful that she had her nightgown on, or she would be in real trouble! Taking a deep breath, Angela looked and reached down, trying to pull his arm off of her waist. She frowned when the arm simply held on even tighter than before. After several tries, Angela closed her eyes in exasperation and tried to squirm her way out of his grasp.  
  
"Are ye sure ye want to do that, luv?" came a smooth voice. "Not that it doesn't feel good, but all that movement is starting to make me a bit...excited."  
  
Angela's snapped her eyes open, her wide violet eyes meeting the amused, warm brown eyes of the handsome pirate captain.  
  
"How long have you been awake?!" she gasped, horrified at what he might think of her.  
  
"Not long," he said, smirking at her as he propped himself up on his left arm, the other still wrapped around her waist. "Yer hands on my arm woke me up. Though, having yer hands all over me and ye rubbing against me isn't a bad thing to wake up to." He grinned down at her as she blushed.  
  
"Well, now that you're awake, could you please let go?" she asked, a bit panicked. She tried looking away, but her gaze fell downwards, taking in his tanned, finely toned chest. That's when she remembered that he was naked under the sheets and blushed, quickly looking away to other parts of the room.  
  
"Why, aren't ye comfortable where ye are?" Jack innocently asked, still grinning from his perch above her.  
  
Angela looked up at him and saw a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Not with you lying naked next to me!" she squeaked.  
  
Jack laughed, holding her tighter. "Its not every day a lovely lass _doesn't_ want to see Captain Jack Sparrow out of his clothes," he said, still chuckling as he looked down at her.  
  
"Well, there's a first time for everything!" Angela said, still a bit distressed. "Now, would you _please_ let go so I can go make breakfast for the crew?"  
  
"Of course, darling," Jack replied, removing his arm. "All ye had to do was say 'please.'"  
  
Not daring to answer back, Angela quickly rose, dressed behind the dressing screen, and flew out of the cabin, heading for the safety of the galley.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
He watched as she left the cabin in a hurry, a grin still on his face.  
  
"That woman really is something," Jack commented out loud, falling back onto his pillows, his right arm behind his head. He had never met a woman who could resist a naked Captain Jack Sparrow lying next to her, and yet one had just fled his cabin in panic! Now he had seen everything!  
  
"She really must be a lady, then," he muttered to himself, looking at the ceiling. Only a lady would flee from the sight of a naked man in her bed. Well, some wouldn't, but most would. Personally, he was glad that she hadn't slapped him for doing what he did. He supposed that he should have told her that he slept naked, but the look on her face as she saw his chest was enough to tell him one thing.  
  
She was attracted to him.  
  
His heart fluttered in a bit of excitement at that thought. Jack knew he had been attracted to her from the moment he had seen her in that faded gray dress in that tavern in Port Cain. True, he'd had a bit of rum at the time, but even after he had dragged her onto the Pearl and sobered up, he still couldn't help but feel a connection to her somehow. He had rarely seen purple eyes in his life, and the strange eye color had usually disturbed him quite a bit whenever that violet-eyed person had looked at him. Not Angela, though; she made purple eyes seem like the most natural thing in the world.  
  
"Like amethysts in a crown," Jack muttered to himself. "Her eyes sparkle like jewels in a treasure hoard." He suddenly sat straight up in bed. "Bloody hell, I'm beginning to sound like that whelp, Will!" Covering his face, Jack lay back down to get some more sleep.  
  
As he slept, visions of a violet-eyed, golden skinned, black haired woman danced through his dreams. However, when he woke, he would remember nothing.

* * *

Angela's POV:  
  
Angela tried to keep her wits about her as she chopped up potatoes and sausage to fry together for the crew's breakfast. However, she still couldn't get the vision of a shirtless Jack Sparrow out of her mind. She had to admit that he was the most attractive pirate that she had ever seen, and seeing him shirtless only confirmed it. Swallowing hard, Angela tried to focus on the task at hand; she needed to finish before the crew woke up!  
  
Thirty minutes later, breakfast was done, and the crew was wolfing it down like mad. However, there was one person missing: Jack. Angela tried not to think about it as she finished scrubbing the pan she had used to cook. She was amazed that the crew trusted her to cook for them, but after seeing Mr. Gibbs, Annamaria, and Mr. Cotton dig into their food without hesitation, the rest of them followed.  
  
After she had cleaned all of the dirty dishes, dried them, and placed them back on the shelves, Angela realized that Jack still hadn't come down.  
  
"That's odd," she muttered to herself. "He's usually awake and at the helm by now." Preparing a tray of fruit, some warmed up leftover breakfast, and a bottle of rum, Angela went up to the Captain's cabin to wake him up, hoping that he wasn't naked this time.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
A knock on the door woke him up from some very pleasant dreams. He wasn't sure what they had been about, but they had been nice, none the less. Sitting up in bed, Jack quickly got up and pulled on a pair of gray pants, black boots, and an open-neck white shirt. When he had finished dressing, he opened the door, finding a somewhat nervous Angela standing in the morning sunlight.  
  
She cleared her throat. "I brought you some breakfast, Captain," she muttered, looking down at the deck of the ship.  
  
Jack didn't know whether to laugh in amusement or sigh. In the end, he did neither.  
  
"Come on in, and call me Jack," he said, smiling as he waved her inside. After she had entered the cabin, he closed the door behind her, noticing how she stiffened at the sound of the door closing. He mentally cursed himself for making her uncomfortable as he moved to the far side of the table and sat down, motioning for Angela to set the tray down in front of him. After she had done so, Jack stopped her from leaving by gently grasping her wrist.  
  
"Take a seat, please, luv," he said, looking into her eyes. She nodded and obeyed. Jack sat back in his chair as he looked at her. "I want to apologize fer earlier today. I'm sorry fer forgetting to tell ye how I sleep at night, and fer making ye uncomfortable like that. I'm used to women who have already seen naked, or at least shirtless, men before in their lives. I'm not used to dealing with lovely virgin ladies like yerself, luv."  
  
Angela blushed as she looked away from him. "How do you know I'm a virgin?" she blurted out, blushing even harder at that remark.  
  
Jack grinned. "If ye weren't, ye wouldn't have reacted the way that ye did," he said, smirking at her. He suddenly went serious. "But seriously, lass, I didn't mean to make ye uncomfortable like that. From now on, I'll wear some clothes to bed, if it'll make ye feel better." He looked at her until her eyes rose up to meet his. "Does that sound alright, luv?"  
  
Angela nodded. "Yes, thank you, Jack," she said, smiling a little.  
  
"Wonderful!" Jack exclaimed as he grinned at her. "Now, why don't ye go and mix up some more of those wonderful herbal potions while I eat my food?" he asked as he lifted the lid off of the tray. He watched her nod and leave the room quickly, leaving him to eat his breakfast in peace.

* * *

AN: You know what's really annoying? That fanfiction.net doesn't put breaks in the stories anymore. I get so confused while reading a story and there isn't a break between one part of the story and another. It drives me nuts! Anyway, school is almost out for summer, but I've got summer classes starting two weeks after this one ends. However, I promise to update faster before summer term starts, don't worry! Don't forget to leave a review! More shirtless Jack moments if you do! 


	7. Tortuga, Old Friends, and Jealousy

Disclaimer: Who wants a shirtless Captain Jack Sparrow? Well, so do I, but I only own him through owning the DVD and maybe a few internet pictures. That's all, so suing me is of no use.  
  
AN: Reviewers still rock! I want to thank you for reviewing my story. Summer vacation is really short for me, so I'll try to write and post as much as I can. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!  
  
Chapter 7: Tortuga, Old Friends, and Jealousy:  
  
Angela's POV:  
  
Two weeks later, as she finished making the bed in the Captain's quarters, Angela couldn't help but think that the journey to Tortuga could not have been longer. In the two weeks that she had been forced to share a cabin with Jack, she had experienced numerous unusual encounters with the Captain.  
  
"Of course, to most women, those encounters would be most welcome," she grumbled as she tucked the last corner under the mattress. The main reason that women would like these "encounters" would be because they all included catching Jack in various states of undress. Although Jack had kept his word about wearing something to bed, there were other problems about sharing a cabin with a member of the opposite sex!  
  
One example had happened three days after Angela had first woken up with a naked Jack next to her. She had walked into the cabin, only to find Jack in the middle of changing his shirt (meaning that his shirt was off and hadn't put on a new one yet). She had turned a bright red before turning and leaving the room, racing to the top deck to get some air and have the sea air wash away her blush. That particular incident hadn't been so bad, but the situations were starting to get worse, as though the Powers Above were trying to torment the poor young woman.  
  
Numerous events began happening after the first "shirt-changing incident." Once, Angela had walked into the cabin again, and had caught Jack finish putting on a new pair of leggings! She had blushed terribly before racing away again. After that, the encounters became almost a daily occurrence, with Angela walking in on Jack in some state of undress, usually when he was just beginning to, or having just finished, changing his shirt or pants. The worst one had happened only two nights ago, when Angela had woken up to find a drunken Jack Sparrow nearly finished with striping out of his clothes to get into bed! Even worse was that Jack had then suggested some "fun in bed" together! Angela had slapped some sense into him before forcing him to put on some clothes before getting into bed. The next day, she had asked to move out, but after listening to Jack apologize to her for an hour about his behavior, she gave in and agreed to stay in his cabin the last two days of the journey to Tortuga.  
  
'At least we're almost there,' Angela thought as she stood up and sighed, gazing around the room.  
  
"Land ho!" cried a voice from above, followed by a huge cheer from the crew.  
  
"Finally!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "I thought we'd never get here!" Maybe she wouldn't have to share a room with Jack while they were here!

* * *

An hour later, as the crew tied the ship to the docks, Angela finished changing into a violet dress that Jack had found in the Pearl's stores, claiming that it matched her eyes. As she pulled her hair up into a braided bun, Angela couldn't help but think that Jack was a good man to be around, despite their unfortunate "cabin encounters" and Jack's drunken proposal for a "tumble in bed." After all, it wasn't his fault that he was a pirate who had been deprived of women for who-knows-how-long!  
  
'Perhaps, after today, he'll be a bit more toned down,' she thought, giving herself one last glimpse in the mirror. However, Angela found that she didn't like the idea of Jack sleeping in the same bed with another woman; it was their bed, after all. Shaking her head to clear those thoughts from her mind, she once again turned her attention to her gown.  
  
It really was a nice gown. The entire affair was of two shades of purple, with a dark purple the color of amethysts overlapping a pale purple under layer. The amethyst sleeves, which were loose and went down to just above her elbows, ended in a cloud of soft white lace that hung down a few inches from her elbows. The bodice was tight, but didn't require a corset, for which she was thankful. Angela was even more thankful that, considering they were in the prostitution capital of the Caribbean, the gown didn't show a great deal of her chest.  
  
"Ye look lovely, darling," came a familiar husky voice from behind her.  
  
She whirled around, her eyes wide as she saw her roommate in the doorway of the cabin. "Captain Sparrow!" she gasped. "Honestly, don't you knock before entering a room with a lady inside?!"  
  
Jack grinned. "How many times have I told ye to call me 'Jack,' luv? And why would I knock when ye yerself don't knock before entering the cabin while I'm changing?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"Those were accidents," she retorted, hand on her hips. "And I only came in after being told you were elsewhere on the ship!"  
  
Jack was silent for a moment as he looked her up and down, his gaze lingering a bit on her hips before drifting upwards to her eyes. "Ye know, that dress fits ye perfectly, and really matches yer eyes," he commented, effectively changing the subject.  
  
Angela blushed. "Thank you," she said quietly, grateful for the change in topic. "Where did you find such a dress? I wouldn't think such a thing would be on a pirate's looting list."  
  
Jack gave her a smirk. "It normally isn't," he said walking over to her. "But I've had these on the Pearl for a while, and every lady deserves to have something nice to wear, doesn't she? And after what ye've had to go through in life, ye deserve it."  
  
Angela blushed even redder than she already was. "Thank you, Jack," she said, twisting her hands together nervously. A pair of hands on hers stopped her hand movements, and she looked up to see kind brown eyes looking into hers.  
  
"What do ye say we go and meet this friend of mine?" Jack asked, smiling down at her. She nodded, and he pulled on his hat, tattered blue coat, and weapons belt before offering her his arm. "Then let's go, luv." She accepted his offered arm, and the two of them left the cabin, heading towards the pirate paradise of Tortuga.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
As he escorted her down the main street of Tortuga, the pirate captain couldn't help be feel good about having such a lovely young woman on his arm. However, Angela's unusual combination of purple eyes and night-black hair attracted many admiring glances from drunken pirates. Jack started casting numerous deadly glares at every man who tried to approach the lass at his side, and wrapped a possessive arm around her waist. He caught her glaring up at him and grinned at her in response.  
  
"Just making sure some drunk doesn't try anything on ye, darling," he whispered to her.  
  
Angela blinked at him in surprise before smiling. "Thank you, Jack," she whispered back, edging closer to his side as a bold drunk came up to her.  
  
"Hello, poppet," the drunk said, grinning at her with a mouth full of rotting teeth. His breath smelled like stale alcohol. "Care to have some fun?"  
  
Jack's eyes narrowed, anger flowing through his veins. "No, she doesn't," he growled, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at the drunk. "Now get out of here." The drunk frowned before leaving the two alone. "Are ye alright?" he asked, looking down at her. At her nod, Jack pulled Angela closer as the two of them continued on. They eventually stopped before a green, rundown, one story building at the center of town. Jack raised his hand and knocked a complicated rhythm on a faded green door.

* * *

Angela's POV  
  
The door flew open, and there stood a middle aged, blond haired, blue eyed man. Angela couldn't help but stare at the handsome man who was the opposite of Jack. This man was clean-shaven, his blond hair neatly combed and pulled back in a ponytail. His clothes, a set of green pants, black boots, white shirt, and brown vest, were of good quality, and weren't faded, patched, raggedy, or dirty.  
  
'Yes, indeed, this man is the total opposite of Jack,' Angela thought as she assessed the man in front of her. Her thoughts were interrupted by Jack greeting his friend.  
  
"Richard!" Jack exclaimed, his arms flying open.  
  
The man's eyes went wide before a grin emerged on his face. "Jack, ye old dog!" he cried. The two men shared a brief hug before they remembered that Angela was also present.  
  
"Angela, this is Richard Thompson, the friend I told ye about," Jack said, beckoning her forward. "Richard, this is Angela Sharp, our ship's medicine woman."  
  
Angela was surprised when Richard looked her over quickly before bowing respectfully to her. She blushed before responding with a curtsy of her own.  
  
"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Thompson," Angela said, smiling at him.  
  
"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Sharp," Richard replied, taking her hand and kissing it.  
  
Angela reddened even more as she continued smiling at him. As Richard released her hand, Angela turned towards Jack, and was surprised to see him frowning slightly at them. However, when he noticed her looking at him, he quickly plastered on his usual grin.  
  
"Well, Richard, what do ye say to continuing this inside?" he said, motioning towards the door with his hands. Richard nodded, and the three filed into the building.  
  
Once inside, Angela's jaw dropped. She had expected the interior of the building to be as rundown as the exterior, but instead, it was the complete opposite. The rooms inside contained decorations and furnishings meant for the wealthy families of the Caribbean! The walls were painted a beautiful, rich red that was trimmed with gold designs along the ceiling, in the corners, and along the floorboards. Red velvet drapes hung over the windows, preventing people from looking inside. Gold banners of the same velvet material hung along the walls, and the cushions on the furnishings were made out of the same red or gold cloths as the hanging draperies. Wooden tables were intricately carved out of either ebony or redwood, giving the room a tasteful air. The overall effect on a person was awe- inspiring. Her look around the room was interrupted by a familiar voice in her ear.  
  
"Glad that ye like the decorations, luv," Jack whispered. "But ye might want to shut yer mouth now." Angela closed her mouth and turned to glare at him. Jack simply shrugged before going to the parlor and taking a seat on a comfortable-looking couch made out of ebony and gold velvet cushions. Angela sat next to him as Richard took a redwood, red-cushioned chair across from them.  
  
"Now, Jack, what bring ye here to my humble home?" Richard asked, leaning back in his chair. "Just remember that I'm a retired pirate and I'm not going on any more crazy adventures with ye and yer crew." He glanced over at Angela. "Of course, if it involves the lass, I just might change my mind."  
  
He winked at her, causing her to glance away in embarrassment. Her gaze settled on Jack, who didn't seem happy for some reason. As she looked at him, Jack's gaze fell on her, and he suddenly smirked at her before addressing his friend.  
  
"Well, mate," Jack said, waving his hands around. "I just came to collect the coin or two of the Blue Heron that ye have. Ye see, the lass and I are going on a little treasure hunt, and we need the two coins in order to know that we're on the right track."  
  
Richard's eyebrows rose. "Really, now?" he asked. "And what would I get if I were to help ye, Jack?"  
  
"I'll give ye a piece of the Heron's treasure, of course," Jack said, as though it were obvious. "A small bit, of course, and return the two coins to ye. How does five percent sound?" Richard frowned. "Keep in mind, mate, that the treasure of the Heron is very large, and five percent is still a large amount of gold," Jack said, pointing at his friend with his right index finger.  
  
Richard nodded. "Done," he said, holding his hand out and shaking Jack's. "I'll go fetch the coins."

* * *

Five minutes later, Jack was holding the coins, but as they were turning to leave, they were stopped by Richard standing in the doorway.  
  
"Jack, I was hoping that ye and Ms. Sharp would stay and have dinner with me this evening," he said, glancing at her. "After all, it's hard to find a decent meal in Tortuga, since most of the eating houses are taverns, and the food isn't very good."  
  
Jack shook his head. "No worries, mate," he said, an odd, hidden emotion in his voice. "I've got the perfect place to take this lovely lass of mine. Besides, I know that ye cook yer own food, and that it's nothing to brag about!" The two men laughed before Richard waved the two of them off, closing the door after they were outside.  
  
Angela looked over at the pirate captain. "Jack, why didn't we stay there for dinner?" she asked. "He seemed like a nice man."  
  
Jack shook his head. "Oh, he's nice, luv, but only when he's sober," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist once they were on the main street again, trying to keep the drunks away. "After dinner and a few drinks, he would have had ye in his room and in his bed." He chuckled at her expression. "Richard was once a pirate, luv, and ye shouldn't forget that. He was, and still is, quite the ladies-man."  
  
Angela nodded as the two of them made their way down the street. "So where exactly are we going, Jack?" she asked. Her stomach rumbled, and she heard Jack chuckle.  
  
"No worries, luv, I know an inn that serves good food and has good, clean beds," Jack said, leading her down a side street, away from the drunks and prostitutes. "Let's go, I'm starving."  
  
The two of them walked for quite some time, slowly making their way into the more secluded outskirts of town. As they walked, Jack told Angela about Tortuga. While the center of town housed the whorehouses, taverns, bars, and more seedy inns, which were frequented by the more unpleasant drunks and such, the edges of town were different. The outskirts held the better, more expensive inns, brothels, and eating houses, and were only visited by the wealthier pirates, rogue merchants, and rum-runners that preferred quality in their food, drinks, and 'professional nightly company.'  
  
"But Jack, why would you take me here?" Angela asked, looking up at him. "If it's so expensive, why don't we just eat and sleep on the Pearl?"  
  
Jack smiled down at her, an odd gleam in his eyes. "I thought that a few nights on land would be good for ye, that's all," he said, his grip on her waist tightening. "And the food on the Pearl needs to be restocked, which is what Gibbs and Annamaria are doing right now, so there really isn't anything to eat on the Pearl."  
  
Angela simply nodded as Jack led her into the Golden Flower Inn. Amazingly, this was simply an inn and eating house. Apparently, if one wanted 'company' for the night, they went to places that exclusively catered that sort of thing. Jack wanted to have two rooms, but Angela told him the price was too expensive, so he ordered one room, making sure that there was a large bed in it. Afterwards, the two of them ate a wonderful meal of fresh, roasted beef, fried potatoes, vegetables and wine. It was only after they were finished that Angela noticed that Jack hadn't had any rum the entire day!  
  
"Jack, don't you want a drink or something?" she asked. "You haven't had any rum all day."  
  
Jack shook his head, smiling. "I'll get some before I go up for the night, luv, don't worry," he said. Sure enough, after they had finished their meal, Jack went to the bar to begin his drinking as Angela started up towards their room.  
  
The room was a good size, clean and plainly decorated. A large, elegantly carved mahogany bed covered in blue sheets was in the center, and there were two stands on either side of the bed, each holding a lit oil lamp. There was also a window above the bed, and a small trunk at the foot of the bed; that was it. As she looked around the room, Angela began to panic as she realized that there was one problem: she had nothing to sleep in! As she approached the bed, she saw something white lying on one side of the bed.  
  
It was a nightgown, and a note that stated that it was hers to keep, as Jack had already paid for it along with the room! Angela smiled at Jack's thoughtfulness as she quickly changed into it, jumping into bed and blowing out a lamp, leaving the side on her right open for Jack. Sighing in contentment, she quickly fell into a deep sleep, leaving a lamp lit for Jack.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
After more than four bottles of rum, Jack felt that he'd had enough for tonight, and made his way upstairs, a half-full bottle of rum in his hand. He had spent the past two hours going over his feelings for the dark- haired, violet-eyed woman upstairs, and couldn't figure them out. Why had he felt so upset over Richard flirting with her and inviting them to dinner? The two men had been friends for over fifteen years, and Jack had never before objected to Richard bedding a woman that they were both interested in. If it hadn't bothered him before, why did it bother him now? True, Angela was a sweet and lovely young woman with an hourglass figure, lovely long black hair, and enchanting eyes, but that didn't mean that he was in love with her! Did it?  
  
The thought hit him like a load of bricks as soon as he was outside the door to their shared room.  
  
"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed, his hand on the doorknob. "No, no, no, it couldn't be! Pirates don't fall in love! It's just an attraction, that's all."  
  
Shaking his head, he entered the room. A lamp on one side of the bed was lit, and Angela was soundly asleep, for which he was thankful for; he really didn't want to talk to her right now. All Jack wanted to do was be alone with his thoughts and his half-full bottle of rum. He kicked off his boots, sat down on the vacant spot on the bed, facing Angela's sleeping figure, and crossed his legs, his rum bottle on his left knee. As he stared down at the woman who dominated his thoughts, he took frequent sips from his bottle, letting his thoughts wander.  
  
'She really was an unusual woman,' he thought, sipping his rum as he looked down at her sleeping figure, which had her face turned towards him. 'I mean, how many people have magical powers and purple eyes? Seriously, though, she's a sweet lass, always caring for and helping others. The Pearl and the crew should count themselves lucky for having such a wonderful, caring person onboard!'  
  
With this final thought, Jack downed the last drop of rum from the bottle, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. As he pulled the cloth away from his mouth, his eyes caught on the violet dress that was lying on top of the trunk at the foot of the bed.  
  
'She'll need a new gown soon,' he thought, frowning. 'There's no way my lass is wearing the same dress twice in a row!' He blinked in surprise at the thought. Was that right? Yes, that was right. Angela was _his_ lass, and there was no way he was going to let anyone else have her!  
  
Remembering that his bottle was empty, Jack got up from the bed and placed the empty bottle on the nightstand. He then began undressing before he remembered that Angela was nervous about him wearing nothing to bed. Since he detested sleeping in too many layers of cloth, Jack opted to leave his pants on, but take his shirt off. The room was getting a bit stuffy, anyway, and he didn't feel like waking up in a pool of sweat. Pulling off his coat, shirt, weapons belt, and hat, Jack stacked them and put them on the trunk at the foot of the bed. He then got onto the bed and opened the window, letting the cool night air into the room.  
  
As he snuggled beneath the sheets, his arm found its way around Angela's waist, pulling her closer to him. The pirate captain fell into sleep, smiling faintly as Angela unconsciously snuggled up closer to his body.

* * *

AN: Another school year is over! I hope that everyone had a good finals week, and that you all passed. Since my summer vacation is less than two weeks long, I'll try to update quickly and finish the story in that amount of time. **_This might or might not be my last story_**...it all depends on how things work out, because after this summer, I'll be a college graduate and have to start looking for work, so _**savor these chapters while you can**_! 


	8. Treasure Hunting and Emotions

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned the dashing Captain Jack Sparrow, I only own him through owning the movie and a few internet pictures. Therefore, suing me is of no use.  
  
AN: Yes, you read correctly: only two weeks of summer vacation! Well, less than a week, now. Don't worry, I plan to get as much rest as I possibly can before summer classes start, before graduation, and before I start job-searching. Enjoy this new chapter!  
  
Chapter 8: Treasure Hunting and Emotions:  
  
_Jack's POV_:  
  
Blinding white light piercing his eyelids woke Jack the next morning, causing him to roll over and groan in pain. Apparently he had had a bit too much rum last night, and now he had to deal with the consequences. As he cracked his eyes open, he saw amused amethyst eyes looking down into his.  
  
"A bit hung-over this morning, are we, Captain?" Angela asked in an amused voice. She chuckled in response to his pain-filled groan. "I've got just the thing!"  
  
As he opened his eyes a bit wider, Jack realized that she was holding a cup in her hand, which was steaming a bit. She took his hand and pressed the cup into it. He sat up and gave the contents a quick sniff before cringing.  
  
"A bit strong-smelling, isn't it, luv?" he asked, looking from the cup to her face. "This stuff smells like it would take the paint right off of the walls!"  
  
The sound of her laughter filled the air. "Don't worry," Angela said, grinning as she patted his hand in comfort. "It's just some medicinal herbs in warm water. It would be more effective if you drank the whole thing down at once. I promise that it won't hurt you." Her mouth twitched in amusement at her last words.  
  
Jack took another whiff of the concoction and winced. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," he muttered before downing the whole thing in two gulps. The taste was terrible, but his headache disappeared a few moments later. Blinking away the last of his headache, he took a better look at the woman by his side.  
  
Morning sunlight filtered in through the window above their heads, giving her an angelic look. Her black hair was pulled into a loose bun, but still shimmered like black silk in the sun. Her purple, gemstone eyes, glittering in a lightly suntanned face, were filled with a mixture of concern and amusement. As he smiled at her, the concern vanished and was replaced with even more amusement.  
  
"Well, I'm glad to see you back to your old self again, Jack," Angela stated, standing up. She gave his appearance a quick glance before blushing, taking in his shirtless upper-body. "You might want to put on a shirt, though. It looks like it might rain a bit later. I'll be down in the dining area, having breakfast." With those words, she turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her.  
  
Jack stared at the closed door. Blinking his surprise away, he got up and pulled on his shirt, boots, and other effects before going for the door.  
  
'That woman sure is a puzzle,' he thought as he went to join her for breakfast. 'A lovely, fun puzzle, though.'

* * *

_Angela's POV_:  
  
As she dug into her plate of bacon, eggs, toast, and cup of coffee, Angela couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions about the pirate currently upstairs. One of her emotions was an uneasiness from this morning, when she had discovered something after she had first awoken before dawn.  
  
She had been on her right side when wakefulness had come, and the first thing she had noticed was a warm, rum-smelling breeze against her cheek. That had sent a jolt of alertness through her, causing her eyes to fly open. The sight that had greeted her left her both breathless and uneasy. A shirtless Jack lay next to her, his arm around her waist, and his lips inches from hers! This had caused her to slowly remove his arm and back away, trying not to wake him. After realizing that he hadn't been disturbed by her actions, she had sat up and looked around the room, quickly spotting the rum bottle that had likely caused his heavily unconscious state, and had smiled. Angela had then carefully removed herself from bed, trying not to wake the sleeping Captain. She had dressed in yesterday's gown and had gone downstairs, hoping that someone was awake. The owner's wife had been in the middle of making breakfast, and had given Angela the ingredients to mix up a headache potion for Jack. What was even better was that the woman had offered free food to the young herbalist and her roommate if she were to mix up more medicine for the other tavern guests as well. After completing her side of the bargain, Angela had gone upstairs to help Jack with his hang over, taking a seat on Jack's side of the bed, the medicine in her hand.  
  
However, another emotion had blossomed while she had sat on the bed, watching the sleeping Captain. Angela had already known that Jack was a handsome man, but he was different when asleep. When awake, he was proud, cunning, and dangerous, ready to fight at a moments' notice. She had never noticed it before, but his features were softer and gentler as he slept, giving him a kind and peaceful look for a viewer to admire. Angela had been leaning closer to his face when he began to stir, and his wakefulness had pulled her out of her stare, forcing her to pretend that she had simply been there to help him with his hangover and nothing more.  
  
Now Angela sat at the table, picking at her eggs as a familiar form sat down in front of her. Looking up, she saw Jack leaning over the table, staring back at her. She blushed before looking down at her plate, quickly eating her food as Jack ordered and began consuming his. Neither one spoke, but somehow Jack finished before Angela did, for while she had been eating in a proper manner, Jack had quickly devoured his food in record time. As he sipped his third cup of coffee (flavored with some rum, of course), Angela finished her food and wiped her mouth before folding her napkin. Looking up, she saw something flash within the depths of Jack's dark brown eyes, but didn't know what it was. In the blink of an eye, it was gone, and she realized that Jack was talking to her.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jack, I didn't catch that," she apologized, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "You were saying?"  
  
Jack smiled at her. "I asked ye if ye wanted to go and do some shopping in town before we leave tomorrow," he said, finishing off his coffee before tossing two coins onto the table. A passing serving woman waved her hand at him, indicating that she wouldn't accept the pay. Startled, Jack returned the coins to his money pouch as the dirty dishes were gathered up and taken away.  
  
Meanwhile, Angela did some thinking. "I don't think so," she said. "I already gave Gibbs and Annamaria a list of what herbs I need, and I think I have enough clothes for a while. Why do you ask?"  
  
Jack shrugged. "No reason," he said, looking down at her neck for some reason. "Since we're in Tortuga for a while, why don't I show ye the town and its shops? Ye might spot something ye like."  
  
Angela frowned in silent consideration. It wouldn't hurt to look around, actually. She might spot something that she had forgotten she needed. Plus, it might be interesting to see what Jack and the Pearl's crew saw in this 'pirate's paradise.'  
  
She nodded. "Alright, let's go see what this town has to offer," she said, smiling at Jack.  
  
"Wonderful!" Jack exclaimed, waving his hands around expressively. He stood up. "Let's go, luv." He offered her his hand, and she accepted, allowing him to safely tuck her hand under his arm and lead her out the door into the streets of Tortuga.  
  
As they walked around the streets, Angela couldn't help but notice that Jack had kept them on the outskirts of town. She knew this because all of the buildings, as well as the people, weren't shabby or rundown. No, these buildings were in good shape, and the people here looked somewhat decent, though nowhere near as respectable as the people in Port Cain or the other British colonies.  
  
"Jack," she whispered as she leaned closer to his ear. "Why are we still in the outskirts? I thought everything here is more expensive than in town."  
  
"It is, luv," he softly commented. "But what's sold here is of better quality, what with all of the rogue merchants illegally buying, selling, and trading their goods here. I promise that everything ye could possibly want will be here."  
  
The two then began looking in shop windows for anything eye-catching. However, neither one realized that Jack had securely wrapped his arm around Angela's waist, and that she was somewhat leaning into his embrace. In fact, they were both acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:  
  
After an hour or so of window shopping, Jack noticed that his arm was around his bonny lass, and found himself enjoying it. It was unusual for him to feel so protective of one single woman, but it was a good feeling. He liked feeling needed and protective, and there was no way he was going to stop. However, he had to be careful while doing so. Although Jack had no trouble subtly displaying his feelings for her, he had no idea whether the attractive young lass next to him returned his feelings or not. Also, she was a witch, and Jack had no desire to wake up and find himself turned into an animal of some sort! No, he had to play his cards carefully with this one, and he would play it _right_! All he needed was some time and patience, that's all. That was why, while Angela was glancing in a jewelry store window, Jack planned on putting a part of his plan into action.  
  
"I'm having a thought here, luv," he said, waving his free hand around. "Why don't we go inside and look at everything? They probably have better things inside, anyway." Before she could protest, Jack dragged her inside.

* * *

_Angela's POV_:  
  
As Jack dragged her into the jewelry shop, her breath caught in her throat. Precious stones glittered under wood-and-glass cases. Sparkles of different shades of red, blue, green, violet, yellow, and white met and dazzled her eyes. As she blinked, trying to adjust to the dimmer light of the shop, Jack dragged her over to one of the cases. Inside were numerous necklaces and chokers, all beautifully decorated with jewels of various colors. After she had briefly glanced at the contents of one of the cases, she turned to the man beside her.  
  
"Jack, why are we here?" she whispered, glancing at the jewelry in the case. "I mean, I like jewelry as much as the next person, but these must be so expensive!"  
  
"Just thought ye might like something of yer own, luv, that's all," Jack replied nonchalantly. "Now, which one do ye like better? Personally, I think the purple ones, they match yer eyes. Although," he said, looking at another case, "the black pearls are nice, too. I like those."  
  
She looked up at him in shock. "Jack, I can't afford anything in this shop!" she exclaimed. "I still owe you for what I took in Port Cain, remember?"  
  
Jack merely waved her comment aside. "No worries, luv, I've got it all taken care of," he said, smiling down at her.  
  
Angela tried to say something, but at that moment, an elderly woman came into the shop from the back room, her gray hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head, and her dress a no-nonsense black color. She scanned the two of them, smiling.  
  
"Hello, dears!" she exclaimed. "My name's Bea. Are you two looking for engagement rings?"  
  
Angela's eyes almost fell out of her head in alarm. "No! No, we're not!" she exclaimed, her hands flying to her face in embarrassment. She turned her head away to cool her face down, letting Jack handle the situation by himself.  
  
"Oh, what a pity," Bea said, looking at them. "You make such a lovely couple!"  
  
Jack chuckled uneasily. "Just looking for something for this lovely lass, that's all," he said. Pointing at something in the case, he asked, "How much for this piece here?" Angela turned to look at him in shock, but he ignored her.  
  
The old woman came over and glanced at the piece he appeared to have pointed at. "This piece?" she asked, pointing.  
  
Angela leaned over the case. It was a lovely necklace/choker of gold, with heart-shaped amethysts and black pearls set in an alternating pattern along it. At Jack's nod, the woman quoted the price.  
  
"Done!" exclaimed Jack as he pulled out his money bag. In an instant, the choker was around Angela's neck and the two of them were out the door, heading back towards the inn.  
  
As they walked back to the inn, Angela felt like she was in a daze. Her hand drifted to her throat and felt the gemstones that rested around her neck. Upon remembering the price of the lovely piece of jewelry that she wore, Angela realized that the money Jack had paid for it would have funded her living expenses in Port Cain for an entire year!  
  
'Why would he spend that much money on me?' she thought to herself as they climbed the stairs to their room. 'Surely he doesn't expect me to work off this debt as well?!' As they entered and settled down in their room, Jack turned towards her.  
  
"How do ye like yer gift, luv?" he asked, smiling at her as he sat on his side of the bed and patted an open spot next to him. Angela accepted the spot, and faintly blushed as Jack stared at her neck. "A nice combination of gems, if I do say so myself. They go well with yer hair and eye colors." He then reached out and touched the choker, caressing her neck with his fingers in the process.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered back to him, her eyes meeting his. Angela then realized that Jack was much closer than she had first thought. His face was now a mere inch from hers and getting closer when a knock on the door forced them apart.  
  
"Who the bloody hell is it?" Jack snapped, obviously upset over the interruption. He opened the door, revealing a young maid holding a small basin of warm water.  
  
"I thought that ye might like some water to wash up with," she squeaked, holding out the basin.  
  
Angela quickly came up beside Jack and accepted the basin. "Thank you," she said, smiling at the maid, who curtseyed in reply before scampering away. As Jack shut the door, Angela set the edge of the basin on the small table on her side of the bed. She then handed the oil lamp to Jack without looking at him. "Would you set this on the other table, please, Jack?"  
  
The sound of footsteps going to and from the other side of the bed was heard as she stayed where she was. Giving the matter a second thought, Angela picked up the basin and handed it to Jack, who had come up beside her.  
  
"Here, hold this," she said, still not looking at him. He obeyed, and she carefully moved the bedside table so that it was several feet away from the wall. Sitting down on her side of the bed, she pulled the table up in front of her, Jack standing on the opposite side, still holding the basin. "Alright, put it down here," she ordered, pointing to the exact center of the table. Her command was carried out quickly. "Now, do you have the coins from the Heron's treasure?" she asked, looking up at him.  
  
"Aye, but what do you want it for?" Jack asked, looking down at her in puzzlement.  
  
"I'm going to try and look for it," she said, smiling. Jack nodded and handed her the two gold coins.  
  
"So how does this sort of thing work, luv?" he asked, leaning closer. "I've never seen magic before."  
  
Angela smiled. "It's relatively simple," she said, holding the coins up. "By simply using a basin of water and a small sample of what I'm looking for, I can find exactly what I want, whenever I want. In this case, with these coins, I can find out exactly where the Blue Heron, and its treasure, is hidden."  
  
She carefully dropped the coins into the basin and waited. A bit of movement in front of her caused her to look up, catching Jack shifting restlessly from one foot to another. "You can take a closer look, if you'd like." A naughty grin settled on Jack's face, puzzling her for a moment before she realized the double meaning of her words. "I meant look at the basin! _The basin_!" she cried as Jack laughed.  
  
"Just kidding, lass, I knew what ye meant," he said, still chuckling as he bent over the basin. A moment later, Jack inhaled sharply as the water became cloudy before slowly clearing itself. Both leaned a bit closer to see what would appear.  
  
It was a diagonal view of an unusually large island, one that resembled many other islands in the Caribbean. It had hills, palm trees, sandy shores, rocks, and a few good-sized fresh water streams that flowed into the sea. As Angela focused harder on the island, things appeared to move faster, as though time were speeding up, hurrying them towards their target. The view sped to one side of the island, to some rocky shores on the right side of the island before drifting into a tremendous cave.  
  
"Big enough to hold a ship," Jack whispered as he leaned closer.  
  
Indeed, it did seem that big. The view slowly drifted into the cave and became pitch-black, as though they were walking through the cave. A few seconds later, the view settled on the shape of a ship, sunlight pouring down on it from an angle through a hole in the roof of the cave. The name on the back of the ship declared it as The Blue Heron.  
  
"That's it!" she gasped. "But which island is it?" she whispered into the basin. The scene changed so that the image of the cave vanished, and they were looking at a bird's eye view of the island, directly over it. As the image moved further away, the island took up the most unusual shape.  
  
"The shape of a bird in flight," Angela commented as she squinted at the bowl. "Actually, it looks like one of those shadow-shapes one makes with their hands. You know what I'm talking about; the bird shadow-puppet shape."  
  
"Aye, it does," Jack whispered, looking closer. "And I know exactly where that island is, too!"  
  
As the two of them pulled away from the bowl, their eyes met, and for that one moment, time seemed to stop. Angela silently gulped as Jack slowly moved his head closer to hers. Before she knew what was happening, his lips were pressed against hers. It was a soft kiss, a gentle caress of the lips actually, but it was enough. She could feel the spark between them, and a tug at her heart that told her that this man was something to be kept in her life forever.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:  
  
He couldn't explain what had made him do it. One moment they had been glancing at the image in the bowl, and the next thing he knew, his lips were against hers. Perhaps it was because of the magic in the air, or because he had secretly been wanting to kiss her all day, but he didn't really care: all he knew was that this was right, and this was what he wanted. This woman, here, with him, right now, was all he cared about. In the end, the kiss was what mattered, and so he carefully moved himself around the table to sit beside his bonny lass, deepening their first kiss as much as he could.

* * *

**_Third Person POV_**:  
  
After several moments of intense kisses and caresses, the two broke apart, panting for air. They looked into the other's eyes, feeling the tension in the air between them. The question that they saw in the other's expression clearly asked one thing.  
  
_So what happens now_?  
  
However, as the two silently pondered that one question concerning the two of them, someone outside their partially opened door was asking something else.  
  
_How do I get to the Treasure of the Blue Heron before the Black Pearl?  
_

* * *

**AN**: Yay, another chapter done! I'm trying to finish this before my extremely short summer vacation is over, but I doubt that'll happen. Still, I promise to finish this story, and possibly write a sequel. However, _a sequel will only happen if people read and review it at the same time!_ So, if people want a sequel, please tell me in your reviews! Thanks, and naked Jack Sparrows for everyone who has reviewed so far! 


	9. More Emotions and Old Enemies

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned the dashing Captain Jack Sparrow, I only own him through owning the movie and a few internet pictures. Therefore, suing me is of no use.  
  
AN: Well, it looks like I wasn't able to finish this story before my vacation ended, but I promise that I will finish it no matter what. Now I present to you: chapter nine!  
  
**Chapter 9: More Emotions and Old Enemies:**  
  
_Third Person POV_:  
  
The kiss shared between Angela and Jack had caused a bit of awkwardness between the two. After they had broken apart, the two of them spent a moment analyzing their feelings for one another.  
  
In her mind, Angela was unsure about loving the pirate captain. She didn't know whether he cared more for her magical abilities or for the person she actually was. What Angela feared the most was that he preferred the former to the latter. Still, she now knew of his feelings towards her, and knew there would be some serious conversations happening soon.  
  
Meanwhile, Jack was experiencing an inner turmoil as great as Angela's. He had sworn to himself that he would never fall in love or stay true to one woman, and yet here he was, kissing and loving a wonderful, caring female that seemed to belong by his side. As he closely examined his feelings, Jack knew that he cared very deeply for this woman, witch or not, and was willing to do whatever it took to make her see how much he cared about her.

* * *

_Angela's POV_:  
  
After several silent minutes of staring at each other, contemplating their feelings, Angela felt she had to break the silence enveloping them.  
  
"Jack," she whispered. His eyes snapped up to meet hers. Looking into his eyes, she continued on. "What happens to us now?"  
  
His brown eyes blinked at her. "What do ye mean, luv?" he asked, looking at her in puzzlement.  
  
Angela slowly licked her lips, suddenly nervous about their conversation. Meanwhile, she could see Jack's eyes drop to her lips, staring as she moistened them with her tongue. This caused her to roll her eyes in a mixture of amusement and annoyance.  
  
"Jack!" she said, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes. "My eyes are up here!" she said, emphasizing her words by pointing. She saw him blush a little before once again meeting her gaze. Hiding her annoyance, she continued with their conversation. "Seriously, Jack, what do we do now? I doubt that the crew would approve of our...feelings for one another."  
  
Jack frowned. "Darling, what my crew approves or disapproves of doesn't matter," he said sternly, reaching out and grabbing her small hands with his rough ones. "I would still care about ye no matter what they said."  
  
"But they're your crew, Jack, and you depend on them! You can't just pretend that their opinions don't matter!" Angela exclaimed in surprise. She then looked away from his face, hesitant to touch the next question on her mind. "And Jack, what about..."  
  
He released one of her hands and hooked her under the chin with his forefinger, forcing her to look at him. "What about what, luv?" he whispered, softly caressing her chin.  
  
Angela once again avoided his eyes. "I know about your fondness for women, Jack," she whispered. "How do I know if what you feel for me is real or a need for a nighttime companion?"  
  
She sat in silence, both eager for and dreading his answer.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:  
  
He was silent as he considered what she had said, trying not to feel offended by her words. It was true that he had a way with women, particularly with the prostitutes in Tortuga. However, those were only for pleasure and to release pent up sexual energy from long voyages at sea. Other than wanting to satisfy his needs, no other feelings had been involved in any of these one night stands.  
  
"Luv, no matter what ye may think of me, I have more feelings for you in my small finger than I had in my whole being while with those other women," he said sternly, gently reaching out and taking hold of her face with his hands, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Those other women were for a night of 'pleasurable company,' nothing more." That was when he realized what a good position he was in.  
  
Suddenly realizing that he had an advantage here, Jack began caressing his love's face with his fingers, smirking as she closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch. His confidence growing, Jack continued to caress her face, including her chin, her lips, and her neck, where the amethyst and black pearl choker rested. He then leaned forward and kissed her lips, enjoying their smooth softness. He moaned softly, feeling that he could get used to kissing this woman every day for the rest of his life.  
  
As they broke away, she spoke. "Jack," she whispered so as not to ruin the moment. She blinked a few times before looking up at him. "It's all a bit too sudden and fast for me, Jack," she said, sighing. "Maybe we should wait until after we find the Heron's treasure to sort things out between us."  
  
Jack attempted to hide his disappointment. "Alright, luv," he said. "We'll wait until after we find the treasure before talking about us." He gave her a quick smirk before wrapping his arms around her waist. "One last thing, though." Leaning forward, he gave her a quick, passionate kiss before pulling back and releasing her. "There; hopefully that'll hold me over until later. Now, what do ye say to dinner?"  
  
At her nod, the two of them stood up and walked downstairs to dinner, each having the other's arm around their waist.

* * *

_Meanwhile, elsewhere in Tortuga_:  
  
_A New POV_:  
  
As his shabby figure raced through the chaotic streets of Tortuga, Philip Harris couldn't help but think of the information that he had overheard in the Golden Flower Inn and Tavern. His captain, Joseph Flint, would be _very_ interested in the doings of his old enemy, Jack Sparrow. Hopefully, this information would get Philip in Captain Flint's good graces; he might even get a reward in the form of gold or position as first mate!  
  
Climbing the gangplank onto Flint's ship, the Red Horizon, Philip raced to the Captain's cabin, pausing in front of the door before knocking. Wanting to look his best, he quickly tried to smooth his limp, grimy brown hair back and wiped his face with a dirty handkerchief, nervousness filling his faded brown eyes. After a few swift knocks on the door, he waited for a response from within. Upon hearing the call to enter, Philip slowly opened the door and cautiously entered the cabin.  
  
A tall man of late middle age sat at a mahogany desk in the center of the cabin. This front part was Flint's office, his sleeping quarters in a room behind it. This arrangement forced everyone, crewmates and possible assassins alike, to go through two sets of doors to get to Flint, if he was resting. His office was plainly decorated, with several lit lamps along the walls for light. There were three chairs for guests and one behind the desk, all made of the same mahogany. There were grey velvet cushions on the seat of the chairs and on the armrests of the captain's chair, but the others held no armrests. All of Flint's furniture pieces were plain, with no carvings or decorations to make them elegant. In fact, the furniture seemed to reflect the man behind the desk, who was currently glancing over some maps and making the occasional mark or two on certain islands.  
  
Joseph Flint's tastes, personality, and looks did indeed reflect in the plainness of his office. He had a square face, with steel-grey eyes set under black eyebrows. His thick, gray-streaked, black hair was pulled into a ponytail at the back of his head, and his plain outfit of white linen cloth, brown pants, and brown boots made him appear solemn and flat. One would definitely say that Flint was a very unremarkable man. However, appearances could be deceiving, as people soon found out. As Philip stood in front of the desk, those cold grey eyes taking a quick look up before returning to the maps.  
  
"Yes, what is it, Phil?" the Captain asked in a bored tone of voice.  
  
"Uh, Cap'n Sparrow is in port, sir," Philip stuttered in his rough voice, his eyes looking down at the ground. Flint hated it when his crewmembers looked him in the eye; he thought of it as a sign of insubordination. "He's got this lass with him, and I heard them talking about the Heron and its treasure."  
  
Captain Flint looked up sharply at his crewman. "Look at me," he ordered; Phil obeyed. "You're sure about this? If this is some way to get on my good side, Phil..."  
  
Philip hurriedly shook his head. "No, sir!" he said, his eyes wide in alarm. "I just heard that he was in the Golden Flower with some wench of his. Seems as though Sparrow's lass was able to help him find the Heron somehow, and they'll be leaving to find it soon. All we need to do is follow Sparrow or find out where it is, and the treasure is ours!" Silence greeted this information. A moment later, his captain spoke.  
  
"Excellent work, Phil," Flint said, leaning back in his chair. "Keep an eye on Sparrow and this lass of his. When the time is right, bring me the girl. I want to have a talk with her."  
  
"Aye, sir," Phil said, exiting the room, closing the door behind him as he headed back into town.

* * *

_Angela's POV_:  
  
After a lovely dinner for two, Jack and Angela had retired to their room, Jack carrying about four bottles of rum in his arms. Angela couldn't help but chuckle when she saw him trying to juggle the bottles and try to open their door at the same time.  
  
"Need a little help, Captain?" she teased, violet eyes sparkling at him.  
  
He gave her a frustrated look. "Aye, that would be helpful," he sarcastically remarked, jerking his head at the doorknob.  
  
Angela shook her head in amusement as she opened the door, letting Jack follow her in before closing the door behind him with a swift kick. As he carefully set his rum down on his bedside table, Angela returned her table to its proper place. The basin was missing, so a maid must have come in and removed it while they were at dinner. After replacing the table, she saw Jack reclining on his side of the bed, already nearly through his first bottle of rum. That didn't really surprise her; what did surprise her was the fact that Jack was frowning at her for some reason.  
  
"Is something wrong, Jack?" she asked, looking down at him from beside the bed.  
  
"Aye, there's something that's been bothering me for a little while," he said, looking her up and down before sitting up straight on the bed. "The problem is that ye've been wearing the same dress for two days in a row, and it's time ye got a new one!" He immediately reached for his money pouch, pulling out three gold coins. After crawling across the bed to get to her, he took her hand and placed the money in it. "Now, why don't ye go and buy yerself something nice?"  
  
Angela's eyes widened in shock. "Jack, I couldn't!" she exclaimed, trying to hand back the money. "You've spent more on me these two days in Tortuga than anyone has in my whole life! Besides, I don't need anymore clothes."  
  
Jack simply waved his hand dismissively at her. "Don't worry about it, luv," he said, finishing off the bottle of rum. "Now, be good and get something pretty, aye? I want to see ye model it for me." He winked at her before starting on his second bottle of rum.  
  
Angela sighed before pocketing the coins. "You are the most stubborn pirate I've ever met," she said, smiling slightly at him. "Are you sure it's safe for me to go out by myself?"  
  
Jack frowned in thought. "Only if ye don't go far," he replied. "There's a dress shop next door. I heard that they have good bargains, and it isn't far, so you should be safe."  
  
Angela nodded before turning to leave. "I'll be back soon!" she said as she closed the door behind her.  
  
_An hour later_:  
  
After shopping around the White Satin dress shop next to the Inn, Angela had finally found something. It was a lovely, deep blue velvet over an off- white under-skirt. White lace was clustered at the elbow-length sleeves and trimmed the edges of the dark blue bodice and the collar, which showed very little of her breasts. Silver designs were embroidered onto the dark blue bodice and along the lower edges of the gown. It was a beautiful piece of work, and at the price of two gold coins, it was, Angela's opinion, a bargain. With one gold coin left, Angela decided to look around for a ribbon shop while her new gown was delivered up to the room in the Inn. As she left the dress shop, she never saw the man come up behind her. The next thing she knew, everything was fading into darkness.

* * *

_Still Angela's POV_:

Angela groaned as she regained consciousness. She was lying on a hard wooden surface (most likely a floor), her head ached a little, and she felt her stomach heave a bit. A heavy hand on her shoulder caused her to jump in alarm.  
  
"This'll help with yer head and stomach," said a squeaky voice, and a cup was placed at her lips.  
  
Taking a whiff of the stuff, Angela recognized some of the herbs used in it, and took a sip, but didn't swallow. As the taste coated her tongue, she analyzed what was being used. After a moment of going over the list, she recognized a particular herb that induced truthfulness, and spat the brew out. Cursing came from the squeaky voice, as well as from a few others.  
  
As her headache slowly cleared away and her stomach settled, Angela opened her eyes completely. She was indeed on a wooden floor in an enclosed cabin/office, and there were three men in the room with her. One was tall, but a little hunched over, and had grimy hair and faded brown eyes. Another was a small, mousy person with limp hair and pale blue eyes. Both these men wore raggedy clothes and worn boots. The final man was tall and plain, with graying black hair, grey eyes, and black brows. However, in a white linen shirt, brown pants, and brown boots, he was better dressed than the other men. Although this made him look like an ordinary man, he carried himself with an air of cold arrogance. As she looked him over, Angela realized that this man was in charge of the situation.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, looking around in anger and panic. "What do you want? Where am I?"  
  
"I'm Captain Joseph Flint of the Red Horizon," he said, looking down at her. He then waved his hand at the short man, who scampered out the door, leaving the herbal cup on the floor by her right hand. The other man closed the door and stood in front of it, preventing any form of escape. Captain Flint smiled down at her.  
  
"So, you're Captain Jack Sparrow's new wench, eh?" he asked, looking her over. "Not bad."  
  
Angela glared up at him. "Do _not_ call me a wench!" she snapped at him. "I'm no man's wench!"  
  
"Indeed," Captain Flint said, grinning at her. "I have to admit that you're a fine woman, though." He began scanning her up and down slowly, taking in her looks. "What is a fine woman like you doing in the company of Jack Sparrow, anyway? You don't look like one of his regular wenches."  
  
"I told you, I'm no man's wench!" Angela yelled, jumping up, causing the contents of the cup to spill all over the floor. "What is it you want from me?"  
  
Captain Flint began walking around her, apparently trying to intimidate her. However, one look at her angry purple eyes showed that she wasn't going to go down without a fight. He smiled down at her, his six-foot-tall frame giving him a distinct advantage over her five-foot-something frame. Pausing in front of her, he took her chin in his right hand, getting a better look at her.  
  
"You have unusual eyes, lass," he said, looking over her face. "And such delicate skin, too." His thumb coasted over her chin. "Now I see what Sparrow sees in you."  
  
"That's _Captain_ Sparrow!" Angela snapped at him, defending the man she cared deeply for.  
  
Flint's eyes narrowed in anger. "Ah, I see he's still very much attached to his title," Flint said, scowling at her. "Still, that doesn't matter." His grip on her chin tightened. "Tell me where the Treasure of the Blue Heron is."  
  
She glared up at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her eyes narrowing.  
  
Flint simply smiled down at her. "Oh, I think you do, lass," he said, grey eyes meeting violet. "If you tell me, I might just let you live to see your precious Captain Sparrow again."  
  
The coldness of his words sent chills down Angela's back, but she didn't show it. She had to keep her head and get back to the inn to warn Jack. In order to do that, she had to stay alive.  
  
"I swear, I don't know what you're talking about!" she said, looking up at him.  
  
Flint sighed as he released her face. "Phil, tell the lovely lass what you heard today," he said, waving at the grimy man in front of the door.  
  
"I heard the lass and Sparrow talking about a cave on an island, where the Heron is hidden," Phil replied, looking at the woman in front of him. He hesitated before continuing. "I also heard that Sparrow knows where the island is, but he didn't give out the coordinates. The lass knows what the island looks like, though."  
  
"So that's it, lass," Flint said, smiling down at her. "Tell me about the island, and I'll let you go. If you don't..."  
  
He trailed off as he signaled for Phil to come closer. An instant later, a rough hand and the cold feel of metal were pressed hard against her throat. Though not pressed hard enough to draw blood, the sword was pressed hard enough to cause discomfort. Silently asking Jack to forgive her, Angela did what she had to to save her life and, hopefully, his as well.  
  
"The island is in the shape of a flying bird," she blurted out, a tear running down her cheek. "The cave is on the right side of the island. That's all I know, I swear! Only Jack knows where it is, he didn't tell me anything more than he knows which island it is!"  
  
Flint smiled darkly down at his captive. "Good enough," he said, coolly. "I know which island that is anyway. Phil, inform the crew that we'll be heading for Seagull Island." As Phil headed out of the cabin, Flint grabbed Angela by her wrists, pulling her tightly against his chest. "Meanwhile, lass, you're going to be spending a lot of time with me in my cabin," he said, looking down at her. "After all, I can't have the Black Pearl attacking me, so you'll be my little bargaining chip, hmm?" He released one of her wrists to gently stroke her right cheek. "I look forward to you keeping me company for this voyage."  
  
Angela looked at him in absolute terror before something was over her nose and mouth, causing her to fall into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Jack's POV_:  
  
His bonny lass had been gone for over four hours, and Jack was beginning to feel more than a bit panicked. Her dress had already arrived hours ago, so where was Angela? Frustrated, Jack got off the bed, took the package under his arm, and headed for the Pearl, thinking that she might have forgotten something onboard.  
  
His hopes were shattered after seeing that she wasn't in his cabin, or anywhere else on the ship. He put the package on his bed and headed for the White Satin dress shop, where he inquired about her with the shopkeeper. Apparently, Angela had left the shop hours ago, heading for another shop across the way. Jack was about to leave when the clerk told him about a man following her after she had left the shop. Alarmed at this bit of information, Jack headed into town to talk to Gibbs, hoping that his first mate could help him gather some information about Angela's disappearance. Of course, finding Gibbs would be the easiest thing in the world: the man only went to one bar to get drunk in Tortuga, and that was the Faithful Bride.  
  
Twenty minutes later, as Jack walked into the Faithful Bride, he found his best mate in a corner, guzzling down what looked like his fifth mug of ale. As Jack took a seat in front of him, Gibbs looked at him in surprise.  
  
"Jack!" he exclaimed, swaying drunkenly in his seat, his eyes wide with shock. "What are ye doing here?"  
  
"I need yer help to find Angela," Jack replied bluntly. "Apparently some rogue followed and snatched her while I wasn't watching her."  
  
Gibbs frowned. "Ye know, that wasn't a bright thing to do, Jack," he drunkenly chided his captain. After finishing off his drink, Gibbs's eyes narrowed in thought. "The odd thing is, I thought I saw someone carrying the lass towards the docks, but I thought that I'd been seeing things," he said, fiddling with his now-empty mug. "The man was heading for a ship called the Red Horizon, which sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it?"  
  
Jack didn't have time to answer, because he was already racing out the door, headed down towards the docks. Upon his arrival, he scanned every docking area, but didn't find the Red Horizon anywhere.  
  
'_I swear, if Flint harms one head on her head, there'll be Hell to pay_!' Jack thought, anger flowing through his veins. Flint wasn't known for showing mercy towards prisoners, and anyone who wasn't dead after five minutes of being with him tended to end up insane later. Jack had seen the aftermath of Flint's 'interviews' with prisoners, and they weren't pretty.  
  
Still scanning, Jack spotted a young man sitting on a barrel, drinking a mug of some sort of alcohol. Walking up to him, Jack caught his attention by grabbing the mug out of the man's hand.  
  
"Hey!" the drunk exclaimed, reaching for his drink. "Give it back!"  
  
"Only if ye answer my question," Jack said, holding the mug out of the man's reach. "Did the Red Horizon leave already?"  
  
The drunk frowned in thought. "Aye, it did," he said, suddenly smiling. "And it had the prettiest wench brought onboard, too. Flint's lucky that his crewmen bring him such nice-looking wenches, even when they're unconscious!"  
  
At the drunk's words, Jack felt himself go cold with fear. After handing the mug back to its owner, Jack raced back to the Faithful Bride for help. Flint had kidnapped his love, and now likely knew where the Heron was hidden. The strange thing was that Jack didn't even care about the treasure. All he wanted was his bonny lass safe and sound in his arms, and he would get her back even if it was the last thing he did!  
  
With that final thought, Jack rushed into the Faithful Bride to sober Gibbs up so they could gather the crew together, knowing that they were in for a long bit of sailing in the morning.

* * *

AN: School has started again, so updates will be slower and far-between. Please help keep me inspired by reviewing! And if you want a sequel to this story, tell me in your review! Thanks!


	10. Treasure Hunting and Finding

Disclaimer: I wish that I owned Jack and the Pearl, but I only own this story plot and Angela.  
  
AN: Reviewers rock! And I would like to thank new readers for reviewing this story as well. Of course, my faithful readers are special, too, so I will telepathically send you Jack Sparrow dreams for providing such wonderful reviews. And please read the note at the end! Thanks and happy reading!  
  
Chapter 10: Treasure Hunting and Finding:  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
It had taken him nearly two days to round up his crew and sober them up enough to sail out of Tortuga, but it was finally done. They were now over two days behind Flint and the Red Horizon, but Jack wasn't worried. Well, okay, he was worried, but he knew that the Pearl could easily catch up with his enemy in no time. The Black Pearl was the fastest ship in the Caribbean, after all.  
  
Shifting his feet as he steered the Pearl towards Seagull Island, Jack couldn't help but think about what Flint might be doing to his bonny lass. Angela was a beautiful young woman, after all, and Flint had always liked the ladies as much as Jack did. The biggest difference between the two was their behaviors towards others. Jack treated people and creatures in a caring, and fairly respectful, manner. Meanwhile, Flint took what he could, and if he couldn't get it, he would simply take it by force. That had been one of the reasons why Flint and Jack didn't get along, and why they had been enemies from the first time they had met.  
  
Their hatred for each other had started over a year ago in Tortuga, when both ships had gone in for a little rest and relaxation. They had docked the same day, and that very night, Flint had set about forcing himself on a girl in an alley while Jack had been passing by. Jack had heard the girl's terrified cries and, being the gentleman that he was, had thought to investigate. Seeing the unthinkable act going on, Jack had knocked the then-unknown-man over the head and saved the girl. She had been very thankful, and Jack had offered to escort her safely back home when Flint had awoken up. Seeing his attacker with 'his girl,' Flint had attacked Jack, and the two had gotten into a fantastic swordfight right there in the alley. The girl had fled, only to run into a passing Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria. Hearing the girl's story, the two crewmates had gone to their Captain's aid and knocked Flint out again. The three pirates had then dragged his unconscious form to the docks, leaving him for his crew to find the next day. From that time on, the two pirate captains had hated each other with a passion. Jack hated Flint for his cruel ways, and Flint despised Jack for his 'softness' towards women and others.  
  
'And now Flint has Angela,' Jack thought, gripping the wheel tightly. The thought of what Flint could do to his bonny lass was enough to make him want to gut the bastard and serve him alive to the sharks for dinner. In fact, he just might do that.  
  
"Cap'n!" called a voice.  
  
Jack snapped out of his thoughts. Looking around, he spotted Annamaria standing off to his right. "What is it, Anna?" he asked.  
  
"The crew's been wondering when we'll get to wherever the hell we're going," she said, looking at him.  
  
"We're headed to Seagull Island, and we should be there within the next few days," Jack said, looking straight ahead, towards the horizon.  
  
"Aye, sir," Annamaria said, saluting him with her right fore and middle fingers. She hesitated before turning to leave. "Do ye think Flint'll hurt Angela?" she asked, fear tingeing the edge of her voice.  
  
Jack's eyes narrowed. "He'd better not, Anna," he said, still staring at the horizon. "If he does, he'll suffer the worst type of torture that I can think of."  
  
Annamaria still didn't move. "And if she's dead?" she whispered, looking at the deck.  
  
Jack growled in response. "Don't even think it," he said, his voice hard and angry. "If my lass is dead, I'll burn Flint alive on his ship, after I torture him and his crew." He heard Annamaria swallow hard before turning away and racing down below. If Flint had hurt Angela, there would be Hell to pay.

* * *

Angela's POV:  
  
Looking out of the lone tiny window in her cabin/cell, Angela couldn't help but fear for her life. She had been Flint's prisoner for almost a week, and now they were almost at the island where the Heron and its treasures were hidden. Watching the sun set on the horizon, Angela thought of how the blood red coloring of the sky was reflected in the name of the ship she was on. She had heard from one of the Pearl's crewmates that a red sunrise or sunset meant that blood had been spilt or would be spilt soon. Shivering in fear, Angela turned away from the window and sat on the small bed, the only piece of furniture in the cabin, except for a small table and chair. Staring at the rough surface of the table, she thought of her experiences on the Horizon over the past week.  
  
True to his word of wanting her company for the voyage, Flint had ordered someone to drag Angela to his cabin for lunch and dinner. A new gown had been provided for her for each occasion, and she wondered where on Earth he had found so many dresses so quickly. On the other hand, perhaps she didn't want to know. It wouldn't surprise her if some of their previous owners were currently residing at the bottom of the sea! So Angela kept her mouth shut and endured meal after meal with the captain of the Horizon, only talking when she was spoken to for fear of angering her captor. Whenever she wasn't eating with Captain Flint, she was sometimes allowed a private outing on deck to get some fresh air. She had been surprised at this, until she'd realized that she was being distantly followed by a crewman.  
  
Angela snorted in laughter. "And where would I go?" she quietly asked herself. "We're in the middle of the bloody Caribbean! There's no place for me to swim to, for goodness sakes!"  
  
Still, the crew and captain of the Horizon hadn't laid a harmful finger on her, for which she was extremely thankful. Unfortunately, she didn't know how long that good fortune would last. Would she be killed after she had led them to the treasure, or would they use her as a sort of bait for Jack and the Pearl? Angela certainly hoped that they would let her live after finding the Heron and not kill her. Being marooned on the island wouldn't be so bad, considering Jack knew where the island was.  
  
"But Jack doesn't even know I'm gone," Angela murmured, tears forming in her eyes. "He might even think I've left him on another ship!" What if he never found her and she ended up dying on the island, all alone, without ever explaining to Jack what had happened?  
  
Those last thoughts brought more tears to her eyes, and she lay down on the bed and cried. Eventually, she fell into a deep sleep, Jack's face the last image in her conscious mind.  
  
When she awoke late the next morning, Angela found a pistol pointed at her head, and one of the Horizon's men standing over her.  
  
"Time to get up, lass," the tall, beefy man said. "Time for lunch." He gestured with the pistol to a dress on the table. Angela nodded her head, and the pirate left her alone to change clothes.  
  
As she held up the dress, she was shocked to find that it was a beautiful white gown with white pearls and crystals sewn into the designs on the bodice. Delicate white lace adorned the neck, elbow-length sleeves, and hem, and the entire thing was made of silk and velvet. In fact, the whole thing strongly resembled a wedding gown. Not wanting to wear the garment, but not daring to offend her captor, Angela changed into the gown, thankful that it didn't require help to do so. Finished changing, she opened the door and walked towards the captain's cabin, a guard right behind her. As she entered the cabin, Angela gaped in shock.  
  
The plain office they usually ate in was now completely changed. Candles and silk hangings adorned the walls, and there was a large table with two china settings and several food dishes set in the center of the room, where the desk had once been. As she blinked, she realized that her escort had gone, and she was now locked alone in the cabin.  
  
"Hello, lass," said a familiar voice right behind her.  
  
Alright, maybe not quite alone. Angela slowly turned around and barely prevented her jaw from dropping again. Captain Flint was dressed completely in dark blue, from his shirt to his boots, all of his clothes made from the best materials. Angela curtseyed politely, as a lady would.  
  
"Captain," she muttered. Upon rising, she found herself led to the table, and their dinner began. As soon as the last dish had been eaten, Angela prepared to leave as she usually did. She was prevented by Flint's hand on hers.  
  
"Not so fast, my dear," he said. As she resumed her seat, he looked her over, taking her in. "Now, let's talk business, shall we?" At her nod, he continued. "After you lead us to the treasure, what do you think we'll do with you?" He chuckled at her alarmed look. "No, lass, my men won't kill you. If they did, I'd shoot whoever had committed such a crime." Flint smiled as he continued to look at her. "It would be a terrible crime against nature to kill such a beautiful creature. No, my dear, I've grown quite fond of you and I've decided to keep you here, on my Horizon, as my wife."  
  
Angela fainted.  
  
When she came to, it was morning and she was in a rowboat, headed towards land. Sitting up, she saw that she was still in her white gown, and Flint was holding her around the waist.  
  
"I wouldn't recommend you trying to escape, my dear," he said, grinning down at her. "Your hands and legs are chained to one another, and you'd sink if you tried to swim. If you try to run, you'll trip, and I'd hate to see your face and dress get dirty before we're wed."  
  
Angela nervously licked her lips. "And when exactly when will that be?" she asked.  
  
"As soon as we're on the Heron's deck," Flint replied, gazing down at her eyes. "You have such beautiful eyes."  
  
His hand reached up and grasped her head, forcing her into a passionate kiss. He released her and she tried not to gag from his forceful kiss. An instant later, their boat hit land and was dragged up on shore. Not releasing her from his grasp, Flint carried her bridal style out of the boat and onto the sand, though he didn't let her go.  
  
"Now, off to find the treasure!" he yelled, his happy crew cheering along with him.  
  
Meanwhile, Angela felt like being sick at the thought of losing the chance to tell Jack that she loved him.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
On the morning of their fifth day at sea, Jack felt ready to strangle Flint for what he had done. How he had managed to survive five days without Angela on the Pearl was beyond him, and he never wanted to go through that experience ever again. He would shoot himself if it did.  
  
"Cap'n!" yelled a voice from the crow's nest.  
  
"Aye?" Jack replied.  
  
"Seagull Island off the starboard bow!"  
  
Sure enough, the island slowly came into view, and Jack grinned. Soon, Angela would be back on the Pearl, the treasure would be found, and they could all get drunk on rum!  
  
"Right after I shoot Flint," Jack muttered as he steered towards the island.  
  
An hour later, the Pearl was anchored on the opposite side of the island so that the Horizon's crew wouldn't know they were there. Jack, Annamaria, Gibbs, Mr. Cotton (complete with parrot), and at least a dozen others, where now packed into three rowboats headed to shore. Remembering what Angela had shown him in the basin, Jack told the crew to head to where the caves were to their left, and Flint's right.  
  
Not long afterwards, the Pearl's crew and captain had discovered the hidden caves and had stowed their boats in a small cove. Some men stayed behind to guard the boats while the rest went after Flint. Everyone quietly drew their weapons, readied their pistols, and entered the cave.

* * *

Angela's POV:  
  
After Flint and his crew had entered the immense, dark opening of the cave, the pirate captain had set her down and unchained her before grabbing her hand and seizing a torch offered to him by a crewmember. The way now lit, he began leading her down a damp passageway into the dark depths of the cave, towards the Heron. After about fifteen minutes, they entered a vast cavern where a beam of light fell on the floating figure of a ship, beckoning them closer. As they neared the Heron, some of the crewmembers discovered a stone path leading up to a small cliff that somewhat curved over the deck of the Heron, creating a natural gangplank. Flint, still clutching Angela's hand, and his crew climbed up the path and onto the ship, searching every cabin for a sign of the treasure. A loud cry from within the belly of the ship drew everyone below decks. The sight that greeted them was spectacular.  
  
Huge piles of gold bricks, coins, and jewelry decorated every free inch of space. There were also numerous wooden boxes of different sizes, each elaborately decorated with Aztec carvings and images. Picking one up, Flint tested its weight before opening it. Inside, the box was full of gemstones of every color one could imagine. Grinning, he picked up a slightly larger box and took it under his arm.  
  
"Perfect," Flint said, grinning broadly. "Alright men, load yourselves up and let's take what we can back to the ship!"  
  
A huge cheer went up, and men began shoving gold and gems into some small bags they had managed to bring with them. When no one could fit another bit into their pouches, the crew gathered around their captain for orders.  
  
"Alright, Phil, I want you to take the men back to the ship with their treasures, then send them back here with the boats," Flint ordered. "We'll only leave after every bit of plunder is cleaned out, got it?"  
  
"But sir, what about ye and the wench?" asked Phil, jerking his head towards Angela.  
  
Flint smiled. "Me and the future Mrs. Flint are going to enjoy looking at the gems until you get back," he said, his hand still gripping Angela's. "Now get going!"  
  
His orders were quickly carried out, and the Horizon's crew filed out of the cave. Little did Flint know that he was sending them to their deaths.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
After entering the cave's entry way, Jack signaled for his crew to hide amid the numerous stone formations along the wall and to put out their torches. After half an hour, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Jack could hear his crew preparing to attack, and as soon as the Horizon's crew was in front of them, Jack leapt out of his spot and killed the first man he saw. The Pearl's crew quickly followed, and the only sound heard was that of metal sliding into flesh. Soon, half of the Horizon's crew was lining the cavern wall and floor, and Jack's crew was completely untouched. Personally, Jack was thoroughly pleased that they had completed their surprise attack with little to no noise. However, something was missing. Looking around, he realized what it was.  
  
"Where's Angela?" he asked, looking around. Spotting a still breathing man, Jack hauled the man up to meet his eyes. "Where's the lass?" he asked, his voice cold as ice. The man pointed to the depths of the cavern before dying. Jack dropped the dead man in disgust. "Well, let's go then."  
  
With that, the Pearl's crew silently crept into the depths of the cavern.

* * *

Angela's POV:  
  
As she stood alone at the Heron's railing, staring at the water, Angela couldn't help but feel her heart sink. Flint was within hearing range in the Heron's captain's cabin, counting gems. The thought of marrying that man made her ill, and the thought of never seeing Jack again made her want to die. Rubbing her eyes to prevent tears, she felt arms around her waist. She sighed.  
  
"For the last time, Captain, I don't want to see any more treasure!" she snapped, not looking back. "Nor do I want to be felt up by you, now or ever!"  
  
"That's a pity, luv, because I thought that ye enjoyed my company," a familiar husky voice said.  
  
Whirling around, Angela came face-to-face with a captain, alright, but it was the Captain she loved.  
  
"Jack!" she gasped before his lips landed on hers, his hand holding her head close to his. Angela's eyes closed as she gave into his kiss.  
  
This kiss was beyond anything they had shared before, striking her down in her soul. Angela could feel the love that he held for her in that kiss, and hear the two of them sigh with contentment. The young witch also felt the magic inside her accept the man who held her, feeling it swell up inside of her body and surround her and her lover with a binding white glow that would hold them together forever, even into death. They were now one.  
  
As they broke apart, the two lovers opened their eyes and stared at each other for a brief moment before Jack spoke.  
  
"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "That was interesting." Behind them, the crew cheered for their captain, and the two lovers grinned at one another.  
  
"Indeed," said a cold voice from behind them. The cheers went quiet, and the sound of swords being unsheathed and pistols being readied could be heard in the vastness of the cavern. Jack and Angela turned around.  
  
"Flint," Jack said, his voice both hot and cold with hate and anger. "Ye should've known better than to take something that's mine." He released Angela and drew his cutlass, putting himself between Flint and his love.  
  
"She's not yours anymore, Sparrow," Flint said, also drawing his sword. "She's mine, and I'll take her, as well as the treasure. She'll be dressed like a queen of the sea, _my_ queen!"  
  
Jack growled. "Ye're not going anywhere with _my_ bonny lass," he snarled, brandishing his weapon. "I'll be dead before I let that happen."  
  
Flint grinned. "If you insist," he said, his sword flying up to clash with Jack's.  
  
The two pirates circled each other on the Heron's deck, Angela keeping herself at the edge of the battle. She watched as Jack darted at Flint and swung his sword in a brilliant arch, nearly beheading Flint before other pirate blocked it, though barely. Jack was pushed back as Flint threw his entire weight into forcing Jack away from him. The two men then circled each other again, their swords catching and reflecting the beam of sunlight coming in from the ceiling of the cave.  
  
Watching the flashing light of the swords, Angela was hit with an idea. She frantically searched for some sort of weapon on deck, but found none. Slowly moving over to the opposite side of the bow, closer to where the Pearl's crew was, Angela saw that they were purposely keeping away from the fight, letting the two pirate captains duel it out amongst themselves. Making eye contact with Mr. Gibbs, Angela then looked at his knife and then back at him. The older man discreetly nodded his head before pulling out his knife and throwing it at her. Angela 'meeped' as the weapon flew at her, but blinked when the weapon imbedded itself in the railing right by her hand. About _an inch from her hand_, to be exact. She looked up and scowled at Mr. Gibbs, who shrugged and winked at her. Angela rolled her eyes in amusement before grabbing the dagger and turning to face the two battling pirate captains. She thought about something that Jack had once said while telling one of his many stories.  
  
_Wait for the opportune moment.  
_  
And the moment that Flint faced her direction was the moment she was waiting for. She grasped the knife and reflected blinding white sunlight directly into his eyes. As he yelped and tried to block it, Jack took his chance and grabbed his pistol, sending a shot into the other man's stomach. Flint froze in shock before falling face-down onto the deck.  
  
The cavern went deathly silent for a brief moment, right before the Pearl's crew let up a huge cheer for their captain. Jack turned and smiled at his crew, returning his sword and pistol to their proper places. He waved them down towards the belly of the ship, some immediately flying down to gather treasures while others went to rob the dead enemy pirates. As soon as the crewmembers vanished from sight, Jack grabbed Angela around her waist and swung her around the deck of the Heron, stepping over the still form of Captain Joseph Flint.  
  
"Did ye miss, luv?" he asked, looking up at her as he held her. "Gods, I missed ye and yer lovely eyes more than anything in the world!" Jack then set her down and kissed her before she could answer. As soon as they stopped for air, Angela looked up at his tall form and smiled.  
  
"Of course I missed you, you foolish pirate," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling her face into his warm chest. Oh, yes, this was heaven.  
  
"Did ye, now?" he asked. She could hear him grin. "Well, then, ye won't mind if I ask ye something?"  
  
Angela looked up at him. "What is it?" she asked, looking up into his brown eyes.  
  
He looked at the choker she was still wearing before he reached into a pocket in his coat and pulled out a box. "Darling," he said, kneeling down on one knee. Angela's eyes widened. "Will ye marry me?" He opened the box, revealing a beautiful ring. It was an oval amethyst the size of her thumb nail surrounded by tiny white diamonds.  
  
Angela's jaw dropped. "Jack, are you..." she trailed off as Jack stood up and slipped the ring onto her left ring finger. "Are you sure? I mean, yes, I will, but are you sure you want to..." She was cut off as Jack's lips met hers. A few moments later, they separated. "I guess you are sure," she said, smiling.  
  
Jack grinned. "Aye," he said, hugging her close to his chest. "That means 'yes.'" He kissed her again, both of them oblivious to the crew watching them as they carried their treasures out to their rowboats.

* * *

AN: So sorry for not updating for a while! Stupid summer classes...my fiction writing class had to come first, and I had to write three short stories in three weeks! I'm so glad the class is only four weeks long, and that it ends this week! I should have more time after this, because then I'll only have one class, but it's also a writing class, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have. However, I _will_ finish this story, even if it kills me! And _**does anyone want a sequel to this story?**_ **_If there aren't enough requests or reviews, there might not be one._** Please **_answer quickly, because there are only one or two more chapters left!_** **_A sequel will only be written after I have received 100 reviews, so start reviewing, please!_** And does anyone know who the penname **_Gog 4_** belongs to? I have them on my favorites list, but I have no idea who they were before, or what they wrote! Could someone help me with this? 


	11. Sea Battles and Love

Disclaimer: I wish that I owned Jack and the Pearl, but I don't.  
  
AN: I _might_ or _might not_ write a sequel to this story. I've kind of run out of ideas for how to continue this storyline into a sequel, and I've got a different plot that I really want to write about instead of a sequel to "_Magic_." However, I might write a sequel to this fic...I'm not sure yet. I've got the ending plotted out so that it can either end right now, or continue on in a sequel; it just depends on how my creativity works out. Would people be willing to read a different storyline other than this one? Please let me know in your reviews!  
  
Chapter 11: Sea Battles and Love:  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
The moment Angela had accepted his proposal, the Captain of the Black Pearl felt like the luckiest man in the world! Not only did he now have his bonny lass, but he also had a tremendous treasure to help treat her like a queen of the Seven Seas!  
  
As he stood on the deck of the Heron, watching his crew load up with treasure, he realized that the boats would need to take more than one trip to get all of the treasure to the Pearl. Jack also knew that if they took too long, the crewmen left behind on the Horizon would be coming to see what had happened to their captain and crew.  
  
"Hurry up, you dogs!" Jack hollered at them, his arm tightly wrapped around Angela's waist. "We've got to get out of here before Flint's leftover crew comes looking for their missing crewmen and captain!" He felt Angela stiffen in his arms, and he looked down at her. "What is it, luv?" he asked, holding her tighter.  
  
"Jack, does that mean the Horizon's crew will come after and attack us?" Angela asked, her voice filled with fear as she looked up at him.  
  
He realized his mistake quickly. "Sorry to scare ye, luv, but it's the truth," Jack replied, his voice soft enough for only her to hear. "If none of the crew returns to the Horizon soon, they're bound to come looking for Flint and everyone who went with him. That's why we've got to get out soon."  
  
"But it will take several trips to get all of the treasure back to the Pearl!" she exclaimed, clutching his shirt. "We might not make it out before the Horizon's crew gets here!"  
  
Jack hugged her close. "There's nothing I can do about that, luv," he said, kissing her forehead as she clung to him fearfully. "We've only got so many boats, and with each of them full of treasure, well, there'll have to be special trips back here to pick up crewmembers later."  
  
"What about the Horizon's rowboats?" she asked, looking towards the entrance of the cave. "The Horizon's crew isn't going to need them anymore, and you can get the treasure and our crew back to the Pearl in less time if you use both our boats and theirs."  
  
Jack gave her a huge smile, his gold teeth glittering. "Darling, you're absolutely brilliant!" he exclaimed, picking her up and twirling her around. "My bonny lass is almost as brilliant as I am!"  
  
Angela quirked an eyebrow and smiled at him as he set her down. "_Almost_ as brilliant as you?" she asked, amusement in her voice.  
  
Jack blinked at her. "I mean, _as_ brilliant as me," he said, waving his right hand in the air dramatically.  
  
Angela chuckled. "That's what I thought you meant," she said, looking over at the crew as they raced around the ship, their arms full of treasure.  
  
Jack gave the cave's entrance a quick look. "Aye, we could get the rowboats in and out of here with little trouble," he said thoughtfully. "I only left them outside because I didn't know what the passageway would be like and didn't want Flint's crew to see us." He quickly spotted an extremely happy Mr. Gibbs racing out of the Heron with three small wooden boxes. "Gibbs!" he called.  
  
The man froze. "Aye, Cap'n?" he asked, clutching his treasures tightly.  
  
Jack jerked his head towards the cave opening. "Take a few men and go get the Horizon's rowboats," he ordered. "If ye do, we can get out before the Horizon suspects something."  
  
Angela grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Don't forget to have them disguise themselves!" she said urgently. "They can't be recognized as your crewmen!"  
  
Jack smiled and gently kissed her nose. "Brains and beauty," he said, grinning down at her. He smirked when he saw her blush. "I love it when ye blush, darling," he whispered huskily into her ear, causing her to shiver. "Yer cheeks turn into two lovely roses when ye do."  
  
Angela blushed even redder, and Jack chuckled softly before kissing her. She leaned further into his embrace and the two engaged in a fair amount of kissing as they waited for the extra boats to arrive. Quite a few moments passed before a shout interrupted them.  
  
"Oy, Cap'n!" called a voice from below.  
  
Jack regretfully pulled away from his love's soft lips. "Aye?" he asked, looking around. There in the water, was Gibbs and several crewmen, all occupying the Horizon's rowboats and accompanied by the Pearl's as well.  
  
"Shall we start loadin' the boats, sir?" asked Gibbs. "And how will we go about doin' that?"  
  
Jack looked around and saw several ropes and pulleys strung together along the rigging. He pointed upwards. "We'll use those," he said. Giving Angela a peck on the cheek, Jack shed his coat, effects, and hat, and began helping his crewmen (and woman) grab several ropes and begin pulling the boats up to be loaded full of treasure.

* * *

Angela's POV:  
  
Watching Jack help his crew was one of the most interesting things Angela had ever seen in her life. She had never seen him work with them before, but for some reason he was doing it now. She suspected that it had something to do with getting all of them (but especially her) out of there before they were attacked by the Horizon.  
  
Clutching the pirate captain's coat, effects and hat as she watched him work, Angela couldn't help but admire Jack's physique as he helped pull ropes and load treasure into the boats. Without his coat blocking her view, the young witch watched as his tanned chest began showing beneath the sweaty shirt. Swallowing hard, Angela tried looking away, but her eyes were soon drawn back to the man that was Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
'He really does have a nice body,' Angela thought, eyes taking in his lean, yet muscular, form as he worked the ropes, loaded the boats with treasure, and lowered them to the water. She couldn't stop staring; her mind kept thinking back to the times when Jack had always gone to bed without a shirt on, as well as the time that she had woken up to find him naked next to her. The memory still made her blush, but now it was in a good way. The image of Jack naked greatly appealed to her, and Angela had to force her mind away from those thoughts as she clutched Jack's coat, hat, and effects in her hands.  
  
"Luv? Luv!" said a voice, a hand waving in front of her eyes.  
  
Angela started. "What?" she asked, looking around. Jack stood in front of her, his shirt covered in sweat and clinging to his body. She blushed as she looked away and held his possessions out to him, not making eye contact.  
  
"Now luv, don't be ashamed at looking at me," Jack chided as he took his belt and strapped it on. "After all, you'll be seeing a lot more of it in the future!" Angela couldn't help but chuckle a little at that. Jack grinned, gold teeth flashing. "That's my lovely lass," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.  
  
Angela wrinkled her nose. "Jack, you're all sweaty!" she said, trying to pull away, but was unsuccessful; he only pulled her closer. "You need a bath!"  
  
Jack immediately got a naughty look in his eyes. "Would that be an invitation of some sort, luv?" he asked, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows at her. She giggled a bit before he caught her up in a kiss. A moment later, they separated for air. "Now we're both sweaty and in need of a bath," Jack whispered to her, leaning in for another kiss. Before they could get any further, though, a call came from the water.  
  
"Cap'n! We be finished with loading the boats, with some room to spare!" called Annamaria's voice from below. "Are ye and yer lass coming down or what?!"  
  
Jack sighed before answering. "Aye, Anna, we're coming!" he called down to her. "Guess it's time to get going, darling," he said, putting on his coat before picking his fiancée up in his arms.  
  
"Jack!" Angela squealed as she was being carried off the Heron. "What are you doing?!"  
  
He simply grinned at her. "Just don't want ye slipping and falling, luv," he said, walking down the stone pathway and down to the boats.

* * *

Still Angela's POV:

In Angela's mind, setting foot on the Pearl had never felt so good. The familiar surroundings made her feel welcome and at peace, instead of confined and panicked like on the Horizon. As the Pearl set sail away from Seagull Island, she glanced around and felt that something was off. Not liking the feeling, Angela immediately went up to Jack, who had taken his customary place at the helm.  
  
"Jack, something's wrong," she whispered to him, clutching his right arm.  
  
He looked down at her. "What do ye mean something's wrong?" he asked. "You're safe, the treasure's all here, and the Horizon doesn't know about us being here, so what could be wrong?"  
  
Angela bit her lip as she stared first at the retreating island and then at the open water. "I don't know, Jack, but I know that something's very wrong, and that something big is going to happen soon."  
  
Jack frowned as he looked at the water, too. "Well, ye've never been wrong about things happening before, so I'll have to trust those special gifts of yers, huh?" He smiled at her show of surprise. "Darling, if we're getting married, I'll have to learn to trust ye and yer instincts sooner or later."  
  
Angela smiled at him before leaning over and kissing him on the lips. "You really are something, Jack," she said.  
  
"That I am, luv," he said, grinning down at her. "Now, about this feeling of doom that ye have..."  
  
"I just think that we should keep an eye open, that's all," Angela said, turning to look at the water again.  
  
"Right ye are, darling," Jack said. "Annamaria!" he cried after looking around the deck, and quickly spotting a target. "Get up to the crow's nest and keep a sharp eye out for trouble!"  
  
"Aye, sir!" came the reply. The dark-skinned woman immediately disappeared into the lookout post. Not a moment later came the call of "enemy ship ahoy!"  
  
Jack immediately began cursing. "Looks like we've got a fight on our hands, luv," he said, looking at her.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
The news of the Horizon following them really made Jack's blood boil. Today had been such a good day: he had just gotten his love back, secured a whole lot of treasure, and had almost made a complete getaway. He sighed; it really had been too good to last.  
  
"On deck, you scabberous dogs!" Jack roared to his crew. "Run out the guns on both sides! Get the hooks and prepare to board! Ready weapons for battle! Come on, you idiots, get going!" The crew scrambled around to carry out their captain's orders. Meanwhile, Jack turned towards Angela. "I need ye to get down below and lock yourself in my cabin, luv," he said, looking her in the eye. She made to protest, but he reached out and touched her face. "Luv, yer our only healer, and if something happens to ye, what do ye think will happen to the hurt crewmembers?" He saw her frown before nodding. Jack leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Now, off with ye, and don't open the door until I come for ye, savvy?" Angela nodded again before fleeing down the stairs and into his cabin.  
  
Motioning to a passing Mr. Gibbs to take the helm, Jack handed control of the Pearl to his first mate and headed down the steps to his cabin, where he gently tested the lock. It was indeed locked, but he took out his master key to all of the ship's locks and locked it from the outside as well, ensuring the safety of his future wife. Pocketing the key, Jack readied his pistol, drew his cutlass, and joined his crew on deck, fully prepared to fight for his life and the life of his fiancée.  
  
He didn't have to wait long. A few moments later, the Horizon pulled up along side the Pearl, and the roar of cannon-fire filled the air. As soon as the sound stopped, Jack raised his cutlass into the air and lowered it to point at the Horizon. His crew instantly responded by letting out a tremendous war cry as they raced across the deck, firing their pistols at the significantly fewer crewmembers of the Horizon before throwing their hooks at the Horizon's railing and boarding. He could hear the clashes of swords meeting and pistols being fired from both sides. Deciding to stay on the Pearl and protect his ship, as well as Angela, Jack stood in front of the door of his cabin and felt a familiar cloak of coldness surround him, preparing him for battle. This coldness always kept him from feeling too much pity for those he killed. After all, it was him or them, and he needed to stay alive to see his wedding day!  
  
As Jack fired his pistol at the head of an enemy pirate that had somehow slipped past his crew, he was extremely glad that they had killed those men in the cave; that meant the Pearl stood a far better chance of winning this fight and leaving with the treasure, as well as their lives. His cutlass came up and blocked the sword thrust of another attacker. Parrying, blocking, and thrusting his cutlass in an attempt to keep his opponent from getting any closer to his cabin, Jack carefully led his enemy onto the main deck before performing an elegant piece of swordplay and plunging his sword into the other man's stomach. Pulling his weapon out of his fallen enemy, Jack again raised his sword and prepared for another attack.  
  
Another Horizon crewman came up and aimed a pistol at Jack's head, cocked and fully ready to fire. As Jack slowly lowered his sword in surrender, the other man's pistol went flying out of his hands, and his body flew backwards, his head hitting the deck with a sickening 'crack.' Jack looked around and spotted Angela standing right behind him, her hands raised in front of her; she had obviously used her powers to save him.  
  
"Jack, look out!" she cried, pointing behind him.  
  
Jack turned around and saw another pirate behind him. This one had his cutlass fly out of his grasp. Jack wasted no time in putting his sword through the man's chest, only removing it when he was sure the other man was dead. Once he was sure, Jack turned towards Angela.  
  
"Get back inside, luv!" he ordered. She shook her head at him. "Do it before I haul you in there myself!" he roared. He really didn't mean to scare her, but it had to be done. Angela squeaked before racing into the cabin and closing the door. Jack locked the door again before turning around and preparing for another fight.

* * *

Angela's POV:  
  
Sitting inside the captain's cabin during a battle had to be one of the most frightening things Angela had ever experienced. The sounds of gunshots being fired and swords clashing together made her want to see what was happening with Jack, but she knew that he had locked her into his cabin, even though she had already locked herself in. But Jack was out there, risking his life for her, and she was stuck in here, unable to help him!  
  
'Damn it, I can't take it anymore!' she thought, approaching the locked door, determination flowing through her.  
  
Removing the key from her pocket, Angela quickly unlocked it from the inside, but still had the problem of it being locked from the outside. Kneeling down, she gave the lock a very careful, very analytical look. After a thorough inspection, she realized that it was a very complicated lock indeed. Of course, this was the captain's cabin, but Angela was a witch, and no mere lock was going to keep her from the man that she loved! Focusing her powers, she focused her magic on it, willing it to unlock from the outside.  
  
"_Open_!" she whispered, ordering the magic and lock to do her bidding. Angela could feel the lock resisting, and focused even harder, desperate to get to Jack before it was too late. "_Open_!" The lock glowed faintly, a white light filling it before a definite "click" signaled the opening of the door. Trying not to jump for joy, Angela opened the door and was glad that she had disobeyed Jack's order.  
  
An enemy pirate had a pistol pointed at her fianc's head! Panicked, Angela raised her hands and willed her magic to work. Sure enough, the pistol flew out of the other man's hand, and another panicked jerk of her hands caused the man to fall backwards and crack his head on the deck. As Jack turned towards her, she spotted another man trying to creep up on him.  
  
"Jack, look out!" she cried. As Jack turned to look behind him, Angela again jerked her hands and the other man's sword flew out of his hands. Taking his chance, Jack stabbed the man in the chest. Angela sighed, fully relieved until Jack turned towards her, anger set in his eyes.  
  
"Get back inside, luv!" he ordered. She shook her head at him. "Do it before I haul you in there myself!" he roared. Not wanting him to get angry at her, Angela squeaked before racing into the cabin and closing the door behind her. She could hear Jack again lock the door from the outside.  
  
It was at least another hour or two before the battle was over. Angela could hear the whole thing from inside the cabin, and knew that if she even peeked outside, Jack would immediately knock her out and lock her in again. Still, pacing the cabin and waiting for her beloved to come made Angela feel like a damsel in distress, and that annoyed her. The women of her family had been good, strong-willed, hard-working witches that waited for no man to rescue them! On the other hand, their men had always been scared stupid after finding out that the women they loved were witches, and that their daughters would likely be witches as well.  
  
That was why finding and loving Jack had been so surprising; he wasn't afraid of her, and he loved her despite her unusual abilities. He had stuck by her, defended her presence on the Pearl to his crew, protected her from Flint and the Horizon, treated her like a princess, and, most importantly of all, _he loved her for who she was_. Never before had a man treated a Sharp woman like she was the love of his life, and yet that was exactly what Jack did.  
  
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't heard the door open. Before she knew it, Angela felt herself lifted up into someone's arms and kissed by a set of familiar warm lips. Smiling, she leaned into the kiss and just enjoyed the moment. She could smell the salty-rum smell that was Jack, as well as the faint scent of sweat and...blood? Angela quickly broke the kiss and looked at him. Jack was giving her a confused and hurt look, but she ignored it as she reached for his shirt, lifting it up over his chest.  
  
"Luv, if ye wanted to get my shirt off so badly, all ye had to do was ask," he said, humor in his voice.  
  
Angela looked up and saw him smiling down at her, a naughty glint in his eyes. She shook her head at him. "I smell blood, Jack," she said somewhat panicked.  
  
He chuckled. "No worries, luv, just some minor cuts and bruises, that's all," he assured her, stroking her cheek.  
  
Ignoring his assurances, Angela proceeded to sit him on the bed and remove his coat, hat, effects, and shirt, sitting behind him as she began checking every inch of Jack's body for injuries. As her fingers coasted up and down his skin, she noticed small goosebumps forming in their wake. Smirking at the effect she was having on him, Angela continued to let her fingers slide up and down Jack's exposed body, enjoying the feel of it. Several old scars dotted his back and arms, as well as numerous tattoos, fire brands, and burns. Jack had told her about how he had received them, but she had never seen them before that moment. Her fingers were stopped by rough, ring-clad hands.  
  
"Luv, if ye don't stop, something that I'm not sure yer ready for yet is going to happen," Jack warned, his voice husky. He was still holding her hands in his.  
  
"Sorry, Captain," she said, pulling her hands out of his. "How went the battle?" Finding nothing more than a couple of bruises and small nicks and cuts, she wet a cloth in a nearby basin and cleaned them as she waited for him to speak.  
  
"Just cleaning up the mess, darling," Jack replied, willingly submitting to her cleaning. "The Horizon's crew, or what was left of it, has been left marooned on the island with some supplies, and the ship's being raided for anything valuable to take with us before we blow it up."  
  
"But our hold's already full of treasure. Surely we don't need anymore!" she protested, giving his cuts one last dab before handing him his shirt. However, he didn't put it on (not that she minded).  
  
"True, luv," he said, leaning back on his arms as she put the wet cloth away. "But we are pirates, and looting is what we do. Besides, we could use some more food and herb supplies."  
  
"Speaking of herbs, is anyone on our crew hurt and need tending to?" Angela asked, silently cursing herself for not asking beforehand.  
  
Jack shook his head. "Nothing that we don't already have balms and brews for," he said. "Gibbs, Annamaria, and a few crewmen have some deep cuts, and Cotton has a broken arm, but they're all things that we can get fixed here or at the nearest port." He got up and walked over to her, wrapping her in his arms as he gave her a loving kiss. "I missed ye," he whispered, rubbing her nose with his.  
  
Angela smiled. "You were only gone for two hours, Jack," she whispered back, running her hands along the string of beads in his hair.  
  
"I know, but I missed ye none the less," he replied, hugging her closer as he leaned in for another kiss.  
  
The two of them spent several minutes making up for lost time together before pulling back for air. After they had their breaths back, Jack gave Angela a big smile.  
  
"I'm having a thought here, luv," he said, taking the hand with her engagement ring on it.  
  
"And what would that be, Captain?" she asked, looking at him.  
  
"Let's get married at the nearest port!" he said, kissing her left ringfinger. "I don't want to waste another day without ye as my wife!"  
  
"Well..." Angela said, pretending to give the matter some thought. She saw Jack's look of mock horror at having to wait and laughed. "I guess I have no choice, now, do I, Captain?"  
  
"No, ye don't!" Jack said, pulling her tightly against his bare chest. "Now give us a kiss, luv."  
  
And she did...for the next several hours.

* * *

AN: Okay, you know the drill: review and tell me whether a sequel should be forced from my poor creativity, or if you'll be willing to read a new story with a brand new plotline. I'm not sure, so I'll leave it up to my readers and reviewers. Remember, there are only one or two chapters left, so hurry! Ciao for now! 


	12. Happy Endings

Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack and the Pearl.  
  
AN: Okay, the fans have spoken: a sequel will be written after "Magic" is over. An idea sort of popped into my head, so I'll continue this plot in a short sequel. Keep a sharp eye out for it, and enjoy this last chapter!  
  
Chapter 12: Happy Endings:  
  
Narrator's POV:  
  
Life for the Pearl's captain and crew had been relatively blissful since the battle with the Horizon. The crew had gotten healed up in a small Spanish settlement called Port Isabella (which had warmly welcomed the business the Pearl provided), and the ship was now fully stocked with food, water, herbal supplies, and some secret gifts for the future Mrs. Sparrow.  
  
Jack had decided to put off the wedding until every member of the crew was fully functional (a.k.a.: able to get drunk off their rockers during the wedding feast), so now, after a two week rest period, the Pearl was heading to the only respectable place that Jack was willing to set foot in: Port Royal.

* * *

A week later: Angela's POV:  
  
She could distinctly feel someone watching her as she began to wake from the depths of sleep. They had left Port Isabella almost a week ago, and for the hundredth time since then, she and Jack had spent another late night arguing over their wedding plans. Before going to bed, Angela realized that her pirate fiancé was up to something, and it was driving her mad. Presently, she was barely restraining herself from smacking Jack in the head and forcing him to tell her.  
  
As she sighed and began to roll over to go back to sleep, she felt an arm slip around her waist, preventing her from turning over. Sighing, she felt soft, warm lips press against hers. Smiling into the kiss, Angela gave in and enjoyed it. As their lips separated, she opened her eyes and saw Jack smiling down at her.  
  
"Ah, my princess awakes," he whispered, leaning in and snuggling his face against her neck.  
  
Angela giggled. "I hardly look like a princess at this time of day," she said before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. As she gazed around the room, she realized that the ship wasn't jerking and swaying the way it usually did when they were at sea. "Jack, why isn't the Pearl moving?" she asked, looking up at him, puzzlement written all over her face.  
  
Jack simply smiled at her. "It's a surprise, darling," he said as he got off the bed, as well as off of her. "Now, why don't ye get dressed and I'll see ye up top?" He quickly left her to her tasks.  
  
"Why is it that every time he says 'it's a surprise,' I always get scared?" Angela muttered.  
  
She put on a crème colored gown, diamond earrings (both surprise gifts from Jack), and her amethyst and black pearl choker before heading on deck. Once on deck, Angela saw that the Pearl had stopped at a simple island, with no visible buildings and didn't even look inhabited! Glancing around, she spotted Jack talking to Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria. Wanting to know what was happening, Angela walked up to them, effectively interrupting their conversation and attracting their attention.  
  
"May I inquire as to why we are visiting an uninhabited island?" she asked, looking at the three pirates. She was surprised when they laughed at her. "What's so funny?" she asked, feeling insulted.  
  
Jack stopped laughing, but kept smiling. "Darling, this island is home to one of the most respectable and most wealthy British colonies in the Caribbean," he said, fluttering his hands around. "This island is the home of Port Royal, and we're just hiding out on the other side of it."  
  
Angela's eyes widened. "Port Royal?" she gasped. "The one from your stories, where you saved the Governor's daughter and got the Pearl back?"  
  
Jack grinned, his gold teeth sparkling. "Ah, so you remember my stories, then, do ye?" He grinned even wider when she nodded. "Good. Then ye won't mind meeting the lovely Elizabeth and her whelp-husband, Will."  
  
Angela didn't know how it happened (though if she thought about it, it was probably the shock of being in a place from Jack's stories), but the next thing she knew, Jack was leading her through the back alleys of Port Royal. As they raced through the streets, Angela realized that she could have passed as a normal citizen, but then, she didn't know where the Turners lived, so she was forced to follow Jack. Not that she minded, though; she enjoyed having his arm around her waist as they walked. Soon enough, Jack stopped in front of a lovely, two-story house with a white picket fence. Angela couldn't help but feel envious of the woman who lived here; she had always wanted a place like this while growing up with her mother in London, but knew she could never have it. She suddenly felt Jack pat her back.  
  
"Don't worry, luv," he said soothingly. "I'll buy ye one that's twice as big as this one!"  
  
Angela laughed. "No, the Pearl will suit me much better now, Jack," she said. "Now let's go see the Turners!"  
  
They casually went up to the front door and knocked. A moment later, a lovely young woman with light brown hair and dark eyes opened up and gasped before throwing herself at Jack.  
  
"Jack!" she cried, hugging the life out of the pirate. This had to be Elizabeth. "What are you doing here? Get inside before someone sees you!" She quickly grabbed the two of them and pulled them inside before shutting and locking the door. "You two go sit down in the parlor while I get us some tea." Before they could blink, she was gone, and the two admired the interior of the Turner home.  
  
It was very fashionable, with crème and pale gold silk hangings over white walls. There were Ming China vases, delicate silver candlesticks, and a lovely painting of the Turners over the fireplace's white marble mantle. The furniture matched the hangings, all gold and crème fabrics combined with dark wood carvings. Jack escorted Angela to a nearby couch, and the two simply sat and held hands until Elizabeth came bustling in with a tea tray, followed by an equally burdened young man with wavy dark hair and dark eyes, who, according to the painting, had to be the young Will Turner. The Turners set down their trays, and Elizabeth poured tea while Will divided small sandwiches between the four of them. Once everything had been distributed, the four settled in and looked at each other.  
  
"So, Jack," Will said, smiling as he sipped his tea. "Who is your lovely lady, and what brings the two of you to Port Royal?" Jack put down his tea and grinned as he grabbed Angela's hand.  
  
"Well, this is Angela Sharp," Jack introduced, smiling like a maniac. "And I just wanted the two of ye to be the first respectable people to know that this lass and I are getting married!"  
  
Will and Elizabeth choked on their tea before putting the cups down. After a fair amount of coughing, the Turners calmed down before looking at the two in shock.  
  
"Married?" Elizabeth squeaked. The two nodded, and Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, Jack, that's wonderful!" she cried, leaping out of her seat and hugging Angela. "Oh I can't believe it! Isn't it exciting, Will?" She looked at Jack. "I certainly hope that we're invited?"  
  
"Of course ye are!" exclaimed Jack. "Why wouldn't ye be? Of course, ye do realize that we'd have to do it quickly, and without anyone, including Commodore Norrington, knowing about it."  
  
Elizabeth waved that aside. "Of course we do!" she said, smiling as she looked at Angela. "I still have my wedding gown, so you and I could tailor it to you before the big day. And we could have white roses and..." Elizabeth continued to ramble on about wedding plans as Jack and Angela sat and listened, fully content to let the take-charge Governor's daughter take control of their wedding.

* * *

Jack's POV:  
  
The big day had finally arrived. After two weeks of planning, tailoring, and a single kidnapping, the wedding was in place. Of course, Angela hadn't approved of them kidnapping a priest to perform the wedding on the Pearl, but there really was no choice. Jack wanted this marriage to be official, and official was what he was going to get!  
  
Now, standing at the helm of the Pearl, adjusting the tight neckline of his pure-white shirt, Jack felt like he was going to either jump for joy, or be sick from nervousness. He was happy to be getting married with all of his friends and crewmembers there, but he was scared that Angela might change her mind, jump off the Pearl and swim away from him! A nudge in the stomach snapped him back to the present.  
  
"Jack, it'll be fine," Will whispered, rolling his eyes. "She loves you, you know that, and she isn't going to change her mind!"  
  
"I'm not nervous," Jack lied, tugging at the collar again. "This thing is too bloody tight, and these new pants are chafing me!" It was sort of true; Jack wasn't used to brand-new clothes, and the black boots, new white shirt, black pants, and black sash were all too stiff for him.  
  
"Well stop fidgeting then!" Will whispered harshly.  
  
"Easy for ye to say, ye aren't the one getting married," Jack muttered.  
  
"No, not today, but I felt the same way when I married Elizabeth," Will said, chuckling slightly.  
  
Jack was prevented from answering when a sudden soft burst of applause went up from the Pearl's crewmen on deck. Elizabeth came first, wearing a soft pink gown and holding a bouquet of pink roses. Annamaria came next, carrying a bouquet of white lilies and wearing a newer set of pirate's garb with a new floppy black hat on her head. Then came Angela, and Jack could feel time stop.  
  
She was fantastic in Elizabeth's wedding dress. All of those tailoring sessions had truly paid off, and the dress seemed like it had been made for her and not for the Governor's daughter. The white-and-silver dress hung off of Angela's shoulders and revealed quite a bit of cleavage, but she didn't seem to mind. A waist-length veil fell from her head to her back, held in place by a silver and diamond tiara that Jack had found in the treasure from the Heron. A bouquet of white roses and lilies was clutched in her hand. In overall effect, the entire affair made the young witch into a goddess of the sky. As she took her place beside Jack, he felt time start up again as the extremely unhappy priest cleared his throat.  
  
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to wed-" the priest was interrupted by Jack clearing his throat.  
  
"Uh, Father, I think we know the drill," Jack said, giving him a pointed look. "Can we please move on with this?"  
  
The priest sighed. "Do you, Captain Jack Sparrow, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, till death do you part?"  
  
"Aye, I do," Jack said, looking into Angela's sparkling violet eyes.  
  
"And do you, Angela Marie Sharp take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, till death do you part?"  
  
She looked up into Jack's anxious face and smiled. "I do."  
  
"Then by the power vested in me by the Church of England, I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest said hurriedly, apparently wanting to get off the Pearl as fast as he could. "You may now kiss the bride."  
  
A huge cheer went up from the deck as Jack grabbed Angela around the waist and kissed her hard. After a moment, Jack (still kissing his new wife) waved his left hand at the crew, clearly indicating that they could go and help themselves to the food and drinks being served in the galley. The crew cheered again and raced down below. The kiss was left uninterrupted until a small cough was heard. The two newlyweds broke their kiss and turned around, finding the priest standing there, shifting from foot to foot. He appeared either very embarrassed or very impatient, but was most likely both.  
  
"Aye, Father, what is it?" Jack asked, looking at the priest with good humor.  
  
"Would one of your crew be willing to take me back to shore?" the priest asked, glancing around. "I have a service I need to perform."  
  
"And we have to get back before my father misses us," Elizabeth quipped from just below the helm.  
  
Jack sighed. "Alright, alright," he said, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Angela's POV:  
  
A few minutes and countless goodbyes later, Will, Elizabeth, and the priest were on their way back to Port Royal, the newly dubbed Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow waving goodbye from the deck of the Pearl. The instant the rowboat landed on the island, though, Angela felt Jack swing her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style.  
  
"Jack, what are you doing?!" she cried, laughing at her husband's antics.  
  
"Taking ye down into our cabin, luv," he said, smiling at her. Kicking the door open, Jack walked across the cabin and gently lay Angela down on the bed, kissing her on the lips before going to lock the door. As he turned back towards his wife, there was a predatory look in his eyes.  
  
Angela swallowed nervously. "Uh, Jack..." she said, her voice faint as her tall, dark, handsome, pirate husband advanced on her.  
  
Jack grinned at her wickedly. "Don't worry, luv," he whispered as he covered her body with his. "I promise to be gentle." He grinned happily as he gently placed his lips on hers and reached for the back of her gown.

* * *

Hours later: Angela's POV:  
  
Their wedding night had truly been something that Angela had least expected. Jack had been overeager at first, until he had learned that Angela was still a virgin. After that, he had slowed down considerably so as not to harm her, and the next several hours had been spent in perfect marital bliss. When they had cuddled up together afterwards, Angela could have sworn that she'd felt a slight warm feeling in her belly, but believed it to be the sheer happiness at being married to the greatest, most handsome pirate in the Caribbean. She was about to find out differently...

* * *

Nine Months Later: Narrator's POV:  
  
"AHHHHH!" Angela screamed through the door of the captain's cabin. "_JACK SPARROW, THIS IS ALLYOUR FAULT_!"  
  
Meanwhile, Jack was trying his damnedest to rush into his cabin to help his wife, but was currently incapacitated. Why? Because his bloody first and second mates (a.k.a.: Gibbs and Annamaria) had tied him to the mast, thereby preventing him from going to the aid of his pregnant wife. The rest of the crew continued their duties, trying to ignore their tied up captain as they had since Mrs. Sparrow had begun the birthing that morning, over twelve hours ago.  
  
"Damn it, Gibbs, I've got every right to see my wife and kid!" Jack yelled to his first mate, who was (due to the incapacitated state of the captain) presently steering the ship towards the nearest port.  
  
"Aye, indeed ye do, Cap'n," Gibbs called back. "But if I let ye loose, Annamaria will have both our heads for interfering with the birthing!"  
  
Jack yelled a few choice curse words before another feminine scream from his cabin interrupted him. His eyes widened, and he began struggling harder against the ropes, hoping that one of his crew had managed to leave some of them loose. He gave up a few moments later when it became obvious that they hadn't. However, that still didn't stop Jack from giving the ropes the occasional pull or tug in hopes of one of his passing crewmen helping him get free.  
  
Another scream pierced the air around the deck, and this time, everyone stopped what they were doing to listen. Suddenly, a smaller, fainter cry came from the cabin, and the crew let out a combined sigh of relief. Jack simply stood still as Annamaria came out of the cabin a few minutes later, drying her hands on a large cloth.  
  
"Alright, Cap'n," she said, grinning at him. "It's time fer ye to go and see yer bonny wife and babe." She finished drying her hands, threw the towel onto her left shoulder and began undoing the ropes. "Just be sure to let the two of them get some sleep, savvy? They'll need it."  
  
Jack hurriedly nodded as the last of the ropes fell away. After he was free, he flew to the cabin, shutting the door behind him. The crew shook their heads as they gathered outside the cabin, eager to hear about the new member of their crew.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the cabin from Narrator's POV:  
  
The instant the cabin door was closed, Jack quietly raced over to the bed where Angela lay propped up on a dozen pillows, holding a small moving bundle.  
  
"Are ye alright, darling?" Jack asked, reaching out and caressing his wife's face. "Ye had me worried there for a while, what with all of the screaming and cursing going on in here." He smiled at his own joke.  
  
She smiled back at him. "I'm fine, though I do remember cursing coming from outside the cabin as well," she replied, sounding both exhausted and amused at the same time.  
  
Jack continued touching her face. "Sorry, luv, but the bloody crew tied me to the mast to keep me from getting to ye," he said. "Remind me to throw them in the brig later." He grinned at her, teeth flashing in the dim light coming from the lit candles on the table.  
  
"But if you do, who will help you run the ship?" Angela teased, her violet eyes twinkling despite her ordeal. "Would you like to hold your daughter?" she whispered, holding up the bundle in her arms.  
  
Jack nodded and carefully took the small bundle from her arms. Looking down at the tiny babe, he noticed that the girl's eyes were a bright blue, like the Caribbean was on a clear morning. Her hair, or what little there was of it, was as black as her mother's, though thick like Jack's. Unable to stop himself, Jack leaned forward and kissed the girl on the head as he stroked one of her hands with a ring-clad finger. As he pulled his lips away from the girl's forehead, he noticed that she had a good grip on his finger, and was occasionally squeezing it.  
  
"She's got a strong grip," Jack whispered, looking over at his wife. "And I noticed that her eyes aren't like either of ours, luv."  
  
Angela shrugged. "I was sort of a fluke in my family," she said, leaning back onto the pillows. "My mother had blue eyes, as did my father, or so I was told. No one else in the family has ever had violet eyes, so you could say that I'm unique." She gazed fondly at her daughter. "Of course, you do realize that she'll be a witch when she grows up, don't you?" she asked, looking back up at her husband. "All women in the family are witches, no exceptions."  
  
Jack smiled at her before turning back to the baby. "Wouldn't have it any other way, luv," he said, his finger still trapped by his little daughter. "So what do we call ye, lass?" he asked the babe, looking down into her deep blue eyes.  
  
"Athena," Angela replied. "It means strength and wisdom, and I think that she'll need both."  
  
Jack nodded, not taking his eyes off of the bundle. "Athena Pearl Sparrow," Jack said, grinning as he heard his wife laugh at the middle name. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" he softly sang to the babe as she drifted off to sleep. Looking up, he saw that his wife had drifted off as well. Still holding his child, Jack quietly opened the door and held a finger over his mouth, indicating quiet.  
  
"This is my baby girl, Athena Pearl Sparrow," he said softly, though loud enough for the crew to hear. His words were greeted with a small round of applause, and he smiled as he looked down at the sleeping bundle in his arms. "Welcome to the Black Pearl, lass."

* * *

**AN**: It's all over! Well, this story, at least. I'll try and crank out a small sequel, because I really want to get started on that other fic of mine before I forget it! Don't forget to leave a review in the little treasure box, and I'll see you all soon! 


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